Trusting the Enemy
by gnrkrystle
Summary: Draco and Hermione are thrown together by a marriage law, Lucius might have gotten more than he bargained for when he suggests the match.
1. Marriage Law

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any recognizable people or places. I'm making no money, simply having a bit of fun. **

**A/N: Recently, I've acquired an amazing beta (Rusty Weasley) and he is taking a fine-toothed comb to all my stories. Therefore, I'm updating all my stories, beta'd for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Marriage Law**

Lucius Malfoy sat at the head of the table in the dining room of Malfoy Manor, sipping his tea and reading the _Daily Prophet_. He was in the midst of his regular morning routine. It was breakfast, followed by tea and the paper, and then later he'd wander the grounds, making sure the remaining Malfoy house-elves were keeping everything in order. Since his wife died only months after the fall of the Dark Lord, it had become his responsibility to oversee the house. Considering he was a social leper, he didn't have anything better to do anyway.

The second half of his routine would not occur that day. He almost spit his tea all over himself in a very undignified manner when his eyes moved across the second front page story:

**_New Marriage Law Passed to Spur Unity in Magical Community_**

_Late last night The Wizengamot passed the controversial ML: 1286 Marriage Law, pushing it through just after midnight. The law caught much criticism from many notable people including war hero Harry Potter, and the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shaklebolt._

_Regardless of the criticism, the high court of England approved and passed the law that would require all Muggle-born witches and wizards to marry a pureblood witch or wizard and vice versa. Some key points to the law include:_

_*In order to remain in the Wizarding World, all Muggle-Borns (between the ages of 18-40) must marry a Pureblood._

_*In order to keep inheritances and continue to practice magic, all Purebloods (between the ages of 18-40) must marry a Muggle-born._

_*Marriages are to occur within six month of the passing of the law._

_*Either the marriage must produce a child within two years, or provide medical notification from a certified healer if this is not possible._

_The new law contains details not described here. An in-depth copy of the law will be sent out to Prophet subscribers later today in the Evening Edition._

_When asked why this law was passed even though the Minister himself disapproved, a Wizengamot spokesperson explained, "In the aftermath of the war, not only has there been a drop in the population, but also, the tensions among purebloods and Muggle-borns have not lessened as we would have liked."_

_When asked if he thought it was the place of the Ministry of Magic to force their wishes on some as young as 18 years old, the spokesman just chuckled and said, "If we didn't, who would?"_

_Neither The-Boy-Who-Lived, nor the Minister of Magic were available for comment at the time of print, but the Daily Prophet expects their opposition to this law to be vocal, especially considering that good friend and War-Hero Hermione Granger is a Muggle-born who would be affected by the law._

_The Daily Prophet will keep you posted on any new developments regarding the law, but it appears, with the number of votes it received, the Wizarding World will be bound by this law for a long time to come._

Lucius sighed deeply. He guessed he could say goodbye to a worthy pureblood heir at this point. Two years ago, he'd have marched into the Ministry and demand the law be abolished while throwing substantial amounts of money around. However, ever since he'd been placed under permanent house arrest after his trial at the end of the war, he couldn't so much as step outside the Malfoy Manor gates, let alone throw his weight around at the Ministry.

If he were not such a proud man, he'd admit that Harry Potter saved his life by testifying on his behalf. He was slated to receive The Kiss, but because of the actions of his late wife and his son in the course of the war, his life was spared and he was simply given house arrest for the rest of his natural life.

But he was a proud man, and instead of being grateful, he constantly thought of ways to relieve himself of his house arrest, or at least restore the Malfoy name to what it once was. And because he could not overturn this ludicrous law, true to Malfoy nature, he began to wonder how he could use it to his own favor.

"Bitsy!" he called.

Immediately the House-elf popped in front of him. "Yes sir, you needing something?" The House-elf never called him master anymore. It was a peeve of his, but technically he wasn't her master. Draco owned everything now.

"Bring me the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black from Narcissa's old rooms," he snapped. It didn't matter how much the Wizarding world supposedly changed, he would never treat House-elves like people. They were servants, and that was how they should be treated.

Bitsy left with a pop and returned only seconds later holding the hefty portrait of the Black ancestor.

He greedily snatched it from her and the elf quickly exited the room. "Phineus," Lucius called into the portrait, glad to see the old man was there instead of his usual home.

"Malfoy," Phineus responded with some disdain.

"I need you to tell me everything you know about what goes on at 12 Grimmauld Place."

* * *

Hermione huffed and threw the _Daily Prophet_ down on the kitchen table. "I take it the law passed," Harry said, taking note of the look on her face.

"Yes," Hermione bit out.

Harry sighed and sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I did all that I could, and so did Kingsley, but too many people wanted this law. Probably because they are all over 40 and never have to live with the consequences."

"I know, Harry." Hermione said, trying to smile at him. She knew he felt guilty, even though none of this was his fault. "I just don't know what I'm going to do. The only purebloods I know are the Weasleys'. And not only are they all married, but I find the thought of marrying any of them too close to marrying a brother."

"I'd marry you, Hermione. If you needed me to." Harry always found Hermione beautiful, and she was his best friend in the whole world. If she needed him, he'd have no problem spending the rest of his life with her. Since he and Ginny had broken up a year ago, he and Hermione were practically inseparable. Parts of him thought one day they might get married. It was part of the reason he fought the law so hard. Hermione shouldn't have to marry anyone unless she wanted to.

"That's nice, Harry," Hermione said, her voice thick with emotion. She couldn't believe how great a friend Harry was, and part of her mourned the fact that she'd never get to see him in a romantic light now. "However, you are not a pureblood."

Harry pulled Hermione to him, "No matter what happens, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Harry."


	2. Owls

**Owls**

Draco locked up his Firebolt in the broom shed after an early morning ride. Whenever he was frustrated, he took to the skies on his broom and instantly felt better. But as his feet hit the ground, the feeling of dread filled him again. He had a huge problem. Lucius Malfoy.

Somewhere in his upbringing, he was brainwashed to believe in the mantra 'Family First'. In the case of his mother, this was not hard to follow. She loved him and he loved her right back. In the end, she'd risked her life for him and his sense of "duty" in the war. She was loving and warm, even if no one saw it but him.

The mantra was, initially, easy with his father as well. He looked up to Lucius who was powerful and "cool." So, when his father told him about blood purity and the Dark Lord, he believed everything he said. As years passed, and Draco actually saw through what the racist bigotry was really about, and was forced to stand in the presence of the Dark Lord, his idolatry of his father was tarnished.

Now, with his father a constant presence in the home that was supposed to be his, Draco felt resentful of the man. Without Lucius as a father, his whole life would have been different. Perhaps, then, he'd have some real friends. He might have even been friends with Harry Potter. Who knew? Perhaps he'd be able to find happiness with someone. As it was, Draco spent most of his time either alone, avoiding his father or working at Malfoy Inc. trying to rectify his father's mistakes.

On the other hand, he couldn't just kick his father out. He was his flesh and blood, whether he liked it or not, and he was still on house arrest and stuck inside the manor Besides, Lucius wouldn't last one day in the real world without use of his magic.

As he trudged up to the house, he heard a pop and Bitsy, the head house-elf, appeared before him. "Master Malfoy, your father is wanting to see you in the dining room," she said.

Draco sighed and nodded, "Thank you, Bitsy." He took a deep breath before moving into the house and into the dining room. Usually his father left him alone, only calling upon him when the boredom got too acute. However, Draco had a sneaking suspicion that Lucius was up to something, calling for him this early in the morning.

"Father," Draco greeted cordially, as he slipped into a chair next to this father. No matter how much the man got on his nerves, it went against his nature to be openly rude to the man who gave him life. It was amazing how he never had a problem being hateful to people he barely knew, but he couldn't seem to be hateful to a man he hated.

"Read this," Lucius said thrusting the newspaper in his hands.

Draco scanned the title and felt the bile rise up in his throat. As he continued reading, his heart started to race. Shit! What was he going to do? "Six months?" Draco finally said when his mouth regained function. "But I don't even know any Muggle-born girls!"

Lucius' mouth quirked up into a smirk. How could he possibly find this amusing? He thought having a "Mudblood" daughter-in-law was a worse fate than death. "That's not true, Draco. I can think of one Mudblood you know."

Draco flinched at his use of that word he hadn't uttered in two years but didn't correct his father. There were some battles just not worth fighting. "Who?" Draco asked, honestly confused. He wracked his brain trying to think of who his father could mean, but the only person he could think of was...

"No," Draco said, "You can't mean Granger." It wasn't that she wasn't attractive or interesting enough. She was both, in spades. It had more to do with the fact that she probably wouldn't even answer an owl if he sent her one. There was also the fact that Harry Potter might have accepted his repentance for his acts in the war when he switched sides, but he was not above hexing Draco into next week if he so much as attempted to contact Granger about this law.

"She's attractive enough for a Mudblood. And she would do wonders for our reputation. Imagine, Draco, what a union with the most famous female war hero in the world would do for your reputation."

It was true. If, in some alternate universe, Hermione agreed to the union, it would go a long way to resurrect some of the former respect the Malfoy name held. But to use someone that way was wrong. On the other hand, would he really be using her? She had to marry a Pureblood too, and he could help her advance her career - whatever it was - as much as she could help him clear his name.

"What about Weasley?" Draco asked. "I assume she would have decided to marry one of them. They are purebloods."

Lucius' smile grew. His son was considering the possibilities and he knew he was halfway to his goal. "They are all married. She doesn't have anyone."

Draco considered his options for a moment. It sounded crazy, but trying couldn't hurt. Regardless of what his father might be planning, he didn't have anyone. It seemed Hermione didn't either. Perhaps he could find a way to make it work between them, if she was willing. He'd make sure it was beneficial for both of them. "Give me a quill," he sighed, putting the paper down. It couldn't hurt to at least try.

* * *

Hermione was cleaning the living room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place when she heard a tapping on the window. While Harry finished up his Auror training, Hermione kept up the house. Her dream was to write a book chronicling the events that led up to the final war against Voldemort, and so Harry supported her while she kept the house in order and worked on the book. Neither enjoyed the prospect of living alone, and found they were well suited to living together.

She set down her wand and pulled the window open, revealing a familiar looking eagle owl. She couldn't place where she'd seen it before but she knew she had. She pulled the note from her beak and offered her a treat before patting her on the head.

Shutting the window, Hermione plopped down on the couch and opened the letter. Her eyes doubled in size when she realized who it was from.

**_Granger,_**

**_I take it you have read the newspaper today. I'd like to discuss the ramifications of this law with you, if you are willing. Before you scoff and say, "No way!" please just hear me out._**

**_Would you like to have lunch this week at the Manor? Please send word of when you are available and I will set it up._**

**_Yours,_**

**_D. Malfoy_**

It was official. Hermione had stepped into the Twilight Zone. Or else she was on Candid Camera. She actually considered looking around the room to see if there were hidden cameras in the house waiting for her reaction. Remembering that no one other than Harry would actually know what a hidden camera was, and he'd never do that to her, she shook her head and stared back down at the letter.

It could be a joke. But as she recalled, Malfoy had changed since their time at Hogwarts. She'd even read how he'd submitted a petition for House elf Rights to the Wizengamot. He never went to the Slytherin parties with the likes of Blaise or Pansy. And he had switched sides in the final battle. According to her sources for the book, he'd been planning the switch with his mother since his sixth year.

Really, did any of that matter though? There was no way she could spend the rest of her life with Draco Malfoy. This boy had formed so many of her insecurities since they met at eleven years old. Could he have really changed enough that she could even begin to think about marrying him?

On the other hand, she didn't have many choices. Perhaps marrying an enemy she knew was better than being forced to marry one she didn't. And really, would it hurt anything to hear him out?

She could not believe she was having this conversation with herself. And what the hell would Harry say? He accepted Malfoy's allegiance, in the end, but it wasn't like Harry was inviting him over for Sunday dinner. This whole thing was so messed up.

As if on cue, Harry walked into the house, throwing his outer robes on the rack by the door. "'Mione?" he called.

"In here." she called back. She guessed she'd better discuss this new development with him now. No use putting it off.

"Oh no, what happened?" Harry asked, plopping down next to her on the couch. She giggled at him. Her face must have given her state of mind away.

"Here," she said, thrusting Malfoy's note into Harry's hands. It took exactly five seconds for Harry's face to turn ten different shades of red.

"This has to be a joke!" he yelled, throwing the note down as if it had burned him.

Hermione frowned, "Yes, because the notion of marrying me is hilarious," she huffed. Even if she_ did_ have the same initial reaction, it hurt coming from Harry.

"You know what I mean," he said, pulling her to him, "It's Malfoy!"

"Yes, it is," Hermione said."And he is in the same situation that I am. It's not like he's got a flock of Muggle-born friends he can turn to. And I clearly don't have any pureblood prospects."

"Are you seriously considering marrying _Malfoy_?" Harry asked, green eyes ablaze.

"I'm seriously considering hearing him out, Harry," she explained. "But I'd really like you to be on my side for this."

Harry sighed and threw his head back against the couch. She was his best friend. And even though he wished he'd be the one marrying her, he wouldn't leave her alone just because he didn't like her decision. If this blew up in her face, he'd be there to pick up the pieces. "You know I'll be on your side," he finally said. "Just be careful, and don't make any decisions unless you are sure."

Hermione smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Harry. I better send back a reply and get this over as soon as possible. If I'm going to do this, I don't want it to be any more rushed than it already has to be."

* * *

Lucius intercepted Hermione's note before it got to Draco. He smirked as he read it and knocked on his son's office door. "You've got a response," he said, with a smug look on his face.

Draco snatched the letter from his father's hands and ignored the older man as he read it.

_**Malfoy,**_

_**I'm willing to listen to what you have to say. I'm free most days, as I don't currently work. What if we met tomorrow for lunch? I can Floo over if your network is open.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Hermione**_

Draco fought hard to refrain from smiling while his father was still in the room. He didn't want to give the man the satisfaction of knowing that this was the best idea he had in his entire life. The more Draco thought about it, the more perfect this match was. Granger was just about the only woman on the planet that was intelligent enough to keep up with him. She was beautiful, funny, smart, and feisty. While he'd never thought of her romantically before -with the exception of a handful of adolescent wet dreams- he couldn't deny that the thought didn't horrify him.

"Do you need something else?" he asked his father who hadn't moved from his spot in front of his office door.

"No," Lucius replied. "Would you like me to join you and the Mudblood tomorrow?"

"No!" Draco snapped, almost forgetting himself. "No, I think that would make this whole thing a lot harder, don't you?" he amended.

"You're probably right," Lucius said, exiting the room with a euphoric expression on his face. This was all going to work. He'd ride that little Mudblood back to the top of the Wizarding World, or he'd have some fun trying.


	3. Terms and Conditions

**Terms and Conditions**

At 11:55, Hermione paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. "Hermione, calm down," Harry said, taking her by the shoulders. "If you don't want to do this, you don't have to," he reminded her. A big part of him hoped she'd chicken out.

"No, it's not that." Hermione said. "It's...it's...it's Lucius," she explained. "I know he will be there, and I've never felt comfortable around him. And that house. I should have thought this through," she huffed.

"Hermione, there are a million reasons why you should feel weird about this, but don't let Lucius be one of them. He's harmless, and you are stronger than he is."

Hermione smiled up at him and he melted. "Harry, you are the best friend a girl could have," she sighed, pulling him to her. Without him, she never would have been able to get to this point without a nervous breakdown. "I better go," she said, grabbing a handful of Floo powder.

"I'll be here when you get back," Harry said. "And if _anything_ happens, send your Patronus. I'll be there in no time."

Hermione smiled and jumped into the fireplace, "Malfoy Manor!" she called, disappearing through the Floo.

* * *

Draco had set up the parlor for lunch. First of all, the dining room was far too large and cold for an intimate lunch and secondly, he knew that after what his aunt did to Hermione in that wing of the house, she would probably be uncomfortable. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible while he made his case.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Bitsy entered the parlor. "Miss Granger is here, sir, shall Bitsy show her in?"

"Yes, thank you," Draco said with a weak smile. It was now or never.

He looked up when he heard her enter the room and his breath caught in his throat. Her long caramel-colored hair fell halfway down her back in loose ringlets that framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her black and white halter dress hugged her abundant curves perfectly without looking too tight. It was a look few women pulled off well.

"Hello, Malfoy," she greeted offering her hand. Draco could tell she was nervous. He was nervous too, but it was not like a Malfoy to show such a weakness so he smirked at her.

"Granger," he nodded as he took her hand. "Please have a seat," he said, gesturing to the couch in front of the coffee table that had their lunch upon it.

"Thank you," she replied politely as she sat down. He sat across from her and tried to remember the beginning of the speech he'd prepared for her. As he looked at her, he couldn't remember a word of it. He told her to help herself to the food on the table as he tried to think of how to start this conversation with her.

"So," she said, feeling the tension in the room. "I believe you had an offer to discuss with me." She almost smirked, but held it in, not wanting to offend Malfoy. He was a proud man, no matter how much he'd changed.

"Yes," he began. He took a sip of water before setting his fork down and looking at her. "You know why I asked you to come. This ridiculous law puts both of us in an awkward situation." Hermione nodded and he continued, "As you probably know, I don't have any Muggle-born friends or acquaintances that I could possibly think about marrying. As I understand it, you don't have any pureblood options either. So, my proposal is that you and I marry each other." There was no use beating around the bush. It was like ripping off a band-aid.

Hermione was surprised at his abrupt explanation. She was expecting a little more build up or at least a better reason than because they didn't have any other option. "That's all? Because we are both desperate? What kind of marriage is that?" she asked. She knew she was desperate and this was probably her best option, but she didn't want to give up totally on the idea of some sort of romance in her marriage one day.

Draco sighed, "The bottom line is that we _are_ both desperate. That said, I'm not an emotionless man. I don't want to have an emotionless marriage. I believe we can make this work."

Hermione considered what he said. "We'd have to discuss this thoroughly," Hermione told him. She felt herself giving in, but she wasn't about to give her answer until she was sure this was in her best interest.

"Of course," Draco said, getting a little more excited. She was honestly considering this.

"Are you free for the rest of the day?" Hermione asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Yes," Draco replied, "I took the day off."

"Good. Why don't we discuss terms after lunch?" She smiled at him then. He was a good looking man. She'd always thought so. Even when he was calling her a "filthy little Mudblood," she had to admit that. As he'd gotten older he'd only gotten more attractive. She could definitely do worse on that front. Not to mention, the elf legislation he drafted was better than even she could write. He was always brilliant. She'd never be bored. And eventually, maybe she could love him. He'd have to earn her trust, of course, but if he could, they might be happy together.

They ate in comfortable silence, both still feeling a little awkward about the situation. This was not how either of them had envisioned a proposal of marriage. After they finished, Bitsy and a few other house-elves came in to clear lunch from the table.

"Okay, let's talk terms, Granger," Draco said with a genuine smile on his face.

"Well, let's see, is there anything in particular that you would like from this marriage?" Hermione asked, pulling a pad of paper and a Muggle pen out of her purse. Draco couldn't hold back the laugh building up in his throat.

"Only Hermione Granger would bring a notebook to a marriage proposal!" he laughed.

Instead of getting indignant, Hermione just blushed and smiled.

"Okay," Draco said, sobering up, "Honestly, the only thing I want from this marriage is friendship and a support system. It's been lonely these last few years," he admitted. Normally he would not admit such a thing to anyone, but if Hermione was going to be his wife, he was going to need to be able to confide in her. In fact, that idea seemed rather appealing, even if it shouldn't.

Hermione smiled at his terms, those she could certainly do. "What about you?" Draco asked.

"I'd like the same things, but there are two more," she said, biting her bottom lip. If she was going to marry him, she had to be able to talk to him about anything, but as she'd never discussed this topic with anyone, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed about it.

"What is it, Granger?" Draco asked.

"Promise me this doesn't leave this room," Hermione almost whispered.

"I promise you have my confidence," Draco said sincerely.

"I'm a virgin," Hermione finally admitted after a minute of internal debate. "And I'd like my first time to be special. I'd also like it to be on my wedding night like I always imagined."

Draco was stunned for a second. That was not what he expected. Sure, marriage implied a certain amount of sexual contact, but he hadn't even gotten to that point in his mind yet. The thought of having a totally untouched Granger in his bed was doing some very pleasant things to his nether regions, but that would have to wait. Right now he had to come up with an appropriate response to her request.

"I promise to make that aspect of our lives very special, Hermione." She smiled as he used her given name. She'd never heard him say it before without being attached to her last name as well. Their eyes held for a moment before he asked, "What was the second term?"

Hermione's face broke into a wide grin. "I want a promise of fidelity. I'll give you one in return. I don't want my husband to cheat on me." This was the one condition she thought he'd reject. As far as she knew, he was still the Slytherin Sex God just like he'd been in Hogwarts. The notion of fidelity probably terrified him.

"Done," he said, without a second thought. He would never be the kind of husband his father was. He saw how his father's infidelity hurt his mother and he could never do that to his wife, no matter how the marriage came about.

"Wow," Hermione breathed. Draco smirked at her again. She must have assumed that would be a deal breaker. "So...I guess we are engaged?" she asked.

"Maybe you could let me be the guy, just this once." he grinned, getting down on one knee. He pulled a velvet box out of his dress pants and held it open for Hermione. It was the most beautiful emerald and diamond ring she'd ever seen. Before she could stop herself, her eyes misted over and her breath caught. "Hermione Granger, I promise to be the best husband I know how if you will let me. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she whispered, taking the ring from the box and putting it on her left ring finger. It could have been how vulnerable he looked when he asked, or it could have been the specialness of the moment, or maybe it was because she had a brain aneurysm, but before she could stop herself, she pulled Draco to her and kissed him lightly on the lips.


	4. The First Date

**The First Date**

By the time Hermione got back to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, it was nearly dinner time. Draco had invited her to stay, but she insisted that Harry would likely starve if she didn't get home and feed him. He seemed slightly perturbed at this and said, "Well, in four months, Potter will have to find someone else because we will be on our honeymoon." They'd already made plans to marry on Christmas Eve.

In order to avoid a fight, Hermione just sighed and pecked him on the cheek before Flooing back to the house she shared with Harry. It wasn't like she couldn't understand Draco's discomfort. It would definitely bother her if he were living with Pansy for the next four months, but the situation couldn't be helped, and Harry was her best friend. She had to help him get acclimated to life without her there every day. They had grown very dependent upon each other in some ways.

For one, Harry couldn't boil water. Not magically, and not the Muggle way. Moreover, neither of them could stand the thought of being alone. Not after the everything they'd been through. They were orphans, surrounded by friends with large, warm families that made Hermione and Harry more uncomfortable than welcomed.

Harry was in the kitchen looking around for something to eat when she arrived. "Hermione! I was so worried. I was half tempted to go to Malfoy Manor and rescue you!"

"I'm sorry, Harry," she said. She really should have let him know that the meeting was going to go longer. Draco and Hermione agreed that they had a lot of time to make up for over the next few months and took the rest of the afternoon to get to know each other a little better. Mostly they just talked, and Draco gave her a limited tour of the Manor - avoiding the wing of the house that Voldemort had taken up residence in during the War. It was too soon for that.

It only took a moment for Harry to spot the huge emerald on Hermione's left hand. "Wow..." he whispered, a little dazed. "I guess the meeting went well." All the air seemed to rush out of his lungs as he processed it.

Hermione blushed a little. "I've decided to take Malfoy up on his offer." she said. "We discussed terms and we really want similar things in life. I think this is going to be okay." She wasn't even trying to convince herself. After the afternoon she had with Draco, she felt confident that they would work it out. They really were more alike than either of them previously realized.

They both had a love for learning. He had also become a strong supporter of magical creature rights after what he called a 'life changing experience', but he wouldn't expound. They both wanted kids. He thought her idea to write a book about the war was brilliant and promised to help her get interviews with some people on the "dark side" that hadn't returned her owls. It wasn't exactly a fairy tale romance, but it was enough, and it was certainly better than the alternative of being forced to marry someone she didn't know.

Harry was a little dumbstruck, though. He knew this was a possibility, but honestly he'd sort of hoped the whole thing might be some sick nightmare. Either way, he'd promised his loyalty to Hermione, and if it meant dealing with Malfoy as well, it's just what he'd have to do. "Wait until you tell Ron," he laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Hermione's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. Ron. He was going to go totally insane when he found out. "Shit," she muttered. "Well, he will just have to get over it. He's the one who married that cow Lavender Brown after only a week of dating," she finally huffed. It wasn't that she wanted Ron, because she didn't. It was more that he didn't even think to ask her how she felt about it before he ran off with Lavender, only a month after they had broken up.

Of course, it didn't take her long to realize that she and Ron were better as friends and eventually things went back to normal, but they were never as close as they once were. Even Harry was more distant with Ron afterwards.

"Well," she finally said, "I'm not telling him today. Today, I'm just going to cook dinner and relax." It had been a long day and she had a "date" with Draco the next night, so she didn't want to do anything but recover from the whirlwind that the day had been.

"Okay," Harry said. "But do you mind telling me how the meeting went? I promise not to judge."

Hermione smiled and began dinner as she told him about the entire day from beginning to end.

* * *

"Fantastic!" Lucius cried over dinner that night. Draco was very concerned about his father's reaction to the news that Hermione agreed to marry him. He had something up his sleeve and Draco wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.

"Father, you are to be nothing but kind to Granger." Draco said. "She will be my wife, and Lady of the Manor, and I want her treated that way. If this is all some scheme to hurt her on your part, I warn you now, I will not protect you."

Lucius looked down at his son with disgust. It sounded like his own flesh and blood actually had feelings for this little Mudblood. Draco was too much like his mother, and didn't seem to have an ounce of Malfoy cunning in him at all. "As I've told you before, Draco, I'm only concerned with restoring the honor of the Malfoy name."

"I would restore the honor of our name regardless of being married to Granger. You would do well to stay out of it," Draco said, putting his fork down and standing up from the table. "Don't do anything to cause trouble," he almost begged before making his exit. He wasn't all that hungry anymore.

A Malfoy never begged, but a Malfoy also always got what he wanted, and Draco realized that he wanted Hermione. The last thing he needed was for his father to muck up his life once more, like he had for so many years.

Draco knew that dealing with his father was going to be a huge obstacle for Hermione to overcome. She'd mentioned her apprehension at living in the same house with the senior Malfoy, but Draco assured her that Lucius stayed out of his wing of the house for the most part and he would make sure that there was nothing to worry about. However, the look in his father's eyes when he informed him that Hermione had accepted his proposal made him pause, and he realized he'd have to keep a closer watch on his father.

* * *

Like a gentleman, Draco offered to pick Hermione up at her door for their date. Hermione had disclosed the location during their meeting, allowing Draco to find the unplottable home. It was agreed that "dating" would be a necessity for them to feel comfortable enough with each other by their Christmas Eve wedding in four months.

He cleared his throat before knocking on the door of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. A full minute later, Harry Potter opened the door and awkwardly moved aside for Draco to enter.

"Hello, Malfoy," he said, trying his hardest to keep the bite of out his voice. But seeing him standing there, looking like a million pounds, with flowers in hand, ready to take his best friend out on a date, only made him feel totally inadequate. He'd decided to push his feelings for Hermione to the back of his mind for her sake, but it wasn't easy.

"Potter," Draco acknowledged with a nod.

"Hermione should be down in a minute, I think she's almost ready," Harry said, hoping she came down soon because this situation was beyond awkward.

Draco clinched his jaw and nodded. He knew he didn't have the right to say anything, but it honestly bothered him that his wife-to-be lived with Potter. Not only was there a deep-seated animosity between the two, but she was cooking and cleaning for him like she was his wife. However, Draco was no idiot; pushing her on the Potter issue would likely make her call the whole arrangement off and he'd be back at square one. He'd just have to grin and bear it until Hermione moved into the manor on Christmas Eve.

"Oh, thank you for waiting," Hermione cried as she hobbled down the stairs trying to pull on her heels while walking at the same time. Draco smiled at her. He'd never dated a girl who would allow herself to be seen not totally made up. It was refreshing that Hermione was real and unconcerned with such trivial things.

"I just got here, actually," he said, Potter long forgotten.

"Good," she smiled, showing her perfect teeth.

He soon whisked her out of the house and off the porch, Apparating them to Morgana's Delight, the nicest restaurant in Wizarding England.

Immediately flashbulbs went off around them as the Prophet paparazzi always seemed to hang around this restaurant. It wasn't Draco's intention to have them be seen by reporters, but it would come out eventually, so he just squeezed Hermione's hand and led her inside as quickly as possible.

"I guess it was only a matter of time," Hermione sighed, as they sat at the best table.

"Does it bother you?" Draco asked.

"No," Hermione said, "but when Ron comes to the house tomorrow ready to spit fire like a Norwegian Ridgeback, I might change my answer," she smirked.

"What does the Weasel care? I thought he was married." Draco couldn't help the nickname from coming out of his mouth. He never liked Ron, and he didn't think he ever would.

"He's always a little over protective. Harry happens to be supportive of this though," she explained.

Internally, Draco was at least grateful for that, but he wanted to focus on more pressing matters. Like the fact they were getting married in a few months. "Well, how about we don't discuss _them_ anymore this evening," Draco replied, opening his menu.

"Agreed." Hermione smiled and did the same.

Dinner went very well. Draco and Hermione never seemed to lack topics for discussion. She told him more about her book and he talked about what he did at Malfoy Inc. The discussed articles they'd read in _Modern Potions Masters_, and both of them felt more comfortable than they thought they would by the end of their first date.

"Why don't we walk back?" Draco suggested. "It's nice out and we really aren't far." Truth be told, he wasn't ready to say 'goodnight' just yet.

"That sounds lovely," Hermione said, pulling her cloak on.

Draco slipped his hand in hers and smiled to himself when he felt her squeeze it in return. "There is one thing I want to talk about that I've been putting off," he said.

"Okay," Hermione replied, a little nervous.

"I believe that a husband and wife should be very honest with each other. So, I want to tell you… I have a few concerns about my father." Draco admitted.

He felt her tense and stop as they were walking down the sidewalk. "What do you mean?" she asked, her hand shaking slightly.

Bloody Hell! Draco thought. This was exactly the kind of reaction he didn't want. "There is no need to be worried. He won't do anything to you. What I'm worried about is that he might try to use you to gain his freedom."

"How could he do that?" Hermione asked. It seemed like being married to Draco wouldn't mean anything to Lucius, of course he would remain as nasty as ever.

"I'm not sure, but he's a Slytherin, through and through. He will try to turn everything to his own advantage," Draco said, pulling her along as they started walking toward Grimmauld Place again. "I just want to let you know so you can keep your guard up. And if he does or says anything that seems strange, please let me know."

"I will," Hermione said. The last person she wanted to deal with was Lucius Malfoy, but she was starting to like the idea of marrying Draco, so she'd just have to figure out how to protect herself. She certainly knew defensive spells, and as sneaky as he seemed, Lucius had been tricked by Harry before, so she felt like she had some chance for success.

They walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to her door, and Hermione couldn't help but lose herself in the feeling of Draco's large, warm hand covering hers. Who would have thought someone so "hard" could feel so soft? She wondered what those hands would feel like on her skin.

The thought jolted her into reality quickly. She'd never been a girl to have sexual fantasies, but the idea that in four short months, the man next to her would be making love to her and moving inside her was enough to make her blush and grow a little wet between the legs.

Draco's line of thinking wasn't too far removed from hers. Her skin was so soft and the smell of her coconut shampoo was wafting into his nose and all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her full lips.

Before they knew it, they were in front of her house. Hermione stopped before reaching for the doorknob and turned around. "I had a really nice time tonight, Draco," she said.

"So did I, Granger," he smiled at the slight disappointment in her face when he didn't call her 'Hermione' in return, but he was still Draco Malfoy. He wasn't going to start calling her Hermione and confessing his love to her over night, even if he was starting to feel a tug at his heart where she was concerned.

She turned to open the door, but he reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, pulling her around to face him again. He moved his face down to hers and felt her warm, sweet breath across his face.

Her breathing hitched as her eyes slipped shut. He pressed his lips lightly against hers and she felt fireworks explode behind her eyes. As he started to pull away, Hermione reached up and grabbed him by the neck, pulling his lips back to hers. She gasped slightly as his tongue darted out, seeking entrance which she eagerly granted.

Draco felt his sanity leaving him as he stood on Harry Potter's doorstep, kissing Hermione Granger like he'd never kissed a girl before. "Hermione..." he breathed, pulling back to look at her.

Hermione grinned up at him. "I knew I could get you to say my name!" she laughed, pulling him into a hug before she opened the door to the house and slipped inside. Draco stood there stunned for a moment, before finally Apparating home. There was no way he was going to be able to play it cool with Granger, it seemed. But if she continued to kiss him like that, she could win the battle of wills.


	5. A Weasel Without a Cause

**A Weasel Without a Cause**

Hermione grinned all the way up to her bedroom that night. She had kissed Draco Malfoy and it was absolutely magical. She hated the fact that romantic poetry was wafting through her head, but she couldn't help herself. That boy could kiss.

As she got ready for bed, she didn't even care that tomorrow she'd have to face a very angry Ron Weasley when the _Daily Prophet_ came out in the morning. Things were looking up. She might have to work at things with Draco, but after tonight, there was no doubt that romance and love could be a possibility for them one day.

She didn't even care that it was probably far too soon to be having these feelings about a man who had been her enemy for almost half her life. He wasn't her enemy anymore, and she knew she'd have to trust him if they were to be husband and wife. He'd shown her that he was willing to earn that trust, so she was willing to start fresh with him.

The smile was still plastered to her face as she drifted off to sleep that night. When Harry came in to check on her, he couldn't help but smile, too, at the serene happiness on her face as she slept. As long as Draco kept her this happy, he could be the bigger man and step aside.

* * *

A loud banging on the front door roused Hermione from her sleep. She checked the clock next to her bed and realized that Harry had already gone to work. _Buggering hell!_ She huffed and pulled a short robe on over the mere tank top and knickers she'd worn to bed, and brushed her hair out of her face as she stumbled down the stairs.

"I'm coming!" she called as the banging continued. Whoever was at their house better be having an emergency.

Finally she pulled the door open to a furious looking Ron Weasley. _Oh here it comes,_ she thought. She made a low bow and comically motioned for him to enter, already knowing that this was going to be a long morning.

Ron pulled the Daily Prophet from behind his back. "Wh..What...Mal...Malfoy...and y-you..." he sputtered, his face turning from red to puce as his anger built.

"Ronald, what I do and who I do it with is none of your concern anymore," she said, pulling her robe tighter around her and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hermione," Ron started again, trying to regain some of his composure. "What were you doing with Malfoy at that restaurant?"

"We were on a date," Hermione stated, keeping her voice even and calm. If this was going to work, she was going to have to stand her ground.

Ron's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "You were on a date with that ferret?" he screamed.

Hermione winced at his tone, but continued. "Yes, Ronald. And furthermore, you better get used to seeing Draco because he and I are getting married this Christmas," she said.

"M-m-married?" Ron gasped. "Is this because of that ridiculous law?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "We discussed it, and Draco and I decided to marry each other as we both had no other prospects." She didn't go on to mention that she wasn't all that put out by the turn of events.

"No," Ron said, moving closer to her.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Hermione huffed.

"No, you aren't marrying him. I'll find someone else for you," he said, taking her by the arm to forcefully lead her into the living room. He seemed to calm down when he realized that he'd just fixed the problem.

Hermione wrenched her arm out of his tight grip and stared back at him in amazement. "You can't tell me what to do, Ronald. I'm an adult, and I will do what I like, and I'll marry whomever I like, and I certainly don't need you to find me a husband. I've already found one. Draco and I will be getting married in four months."

Ron looked back at her astonished. "If you do this, Hermione, we are done. It's him or our friendship."

Hermione was shocked into silence then. "You don't mean that," she breathed.

"Yes," Ron said, "I do." With that, he turned on his heel and left the house.

Hermione's eyes glazed over with unshed tears as she considered what he'd said. Ron had been one of her best friends since she was eleven. Sure, they had their ups and downs, and he had a tendency to be selfish, but she never thought he'd turn his back on her like that.

She didn't want to be alone, but didn't know where to go. The Weasleys would not understand. They usually either took Ron's side, or tried to stay out of it. Harry was at work. None of her other friends were close enough that they would understand the situation. There was only one person she could go to and he'd promised to keep the Floo open for her. Taking a pinch of Floo powder, she climbed into the fireplace and called out, "Malfoy Manor."

Perhaps she should have taken her wardrobe into consideration when she decided to Floo to Draco's house, because as she tumbled into the living room of Malfoy Manor, the first thing she saw was Lucius Malfoy, eyes upon her, with a newspaper in his lap.

A smirk graced his lips that caused her to pull her robe tightly around her body, wishing it were more substantial. The look in his eyes made her feel exposed and slightly dirty. "Miss Granger," he drawled, setting the paper down. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Is Mal-Draco home?" she asked in the most dignified voice she could muster, given her current state of vulnerability.

Just as the words escaped her lips Draco walked into the room, "Was that the Floo?" he asked, following his father's line of sight. "Granger!" he said, surprised to see her, and with so little on.

He gulped at the sight, but pulled himself together long enough to walk over to her and ask, "Are you okay?"

"Can we talk somewhere...else?" Hermione asked, eyeing Lucius as he continued to look her up and down. Draco scowled at his father and nodded, pulling her towards him and out of the living room to his own private sitting room in his wing of the house.

"What happened, Granger?" he asked when they sat down. She was still in her night clothes, so she'd obviously fled to his house in a hurry. Tear tracks were staining her perfect cheeks, which only made him want to hurt whoever had made her cry, and she was holding her right arm rather gently with her left hand.

"Ron," she said, as if that answered everything. Draco had never liked Ron, but if he was the cause of this distressed state of his fiancée, he would probably have to kill the man.

"I'm going to need more information than that," Draco said, as the wheels turned in his head. How many ways could he kill the Weasel without getting caught?

Hermione sighed as she relayed everything that had happened that morning, from being rudely awakened to the ultimatum Ron had given her. By the time she'd finished, she'd calmed down a little, but the dull ache in her arm where she'd wrenched it away from Ron's grasp was starting to smart.

Draco moved closer to Hermione and wrapped his arm around her. When she winced, he pulled away immediately. "What?" he asked. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Hermione replied, pulling her right arm out of the sleeve of her robe. A small bruise had already appeared there. "Ron just doesn't know his own strength sometimes."

Draco held her arm in his hands and fumed. "Weasel did this to you?" he asked, his voice so deathly calm it scared Hermione.

"Actually, it probably happened when I jerked away from him. It's really not a big deal," she said, trying to calm her fiancé down. He looked lethal, and she didn't want him to do anything stupid. It would not help him in his goal to repair the Malfoy name if he marched over to the Burrow and started a fight with Ron Weasley, a famous war hero.

"I'm going to kill him," Draco said, matter-of-factly as he ran a soothing hand down her arm.

"No, Draco," Hermione said. "I'm fine. Please don't do anything. If Ron is being serious, we will never see him again anyway," she continued, unable to hold back the new crop of tears as she thought about the end of her friendship.

Draco could not understand why Hermione actually cared whether the Weasel approved or not, but the fact remained that she did. He tried to calm himself down enough to be a comfort to her. "Hermione, I'm sorry that Weasley can't understand what we are doing, but if he can't accept your decisions, maybe it's not such a bad idea that you two spend some time apart." Inside he couldn't think of a better idea than Ron far away from Hermione. "If he's a true friend, he will understand, in time, and realize that he was being a controlling git, and beg you for forgiveness."

A small smile graced Hermione's lips as she looked up at Draco. She knew he hated Ron, but being able to comfort her, even if he couldn't understand why she was upset meant a lot to her. "Thank you, Draco," she said.

"Anytime, Granger," he smirked.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione said, taking in his formal business robes for the first time. "I must have interrupted something really important!" she moaned.

Draco just laughed, "I was just on my way to a business meeting," he said. "But don't worry. They will wait for a Malfoy."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are all the Malfoys so self-assured?" she asked.

Draco's smirk grew, "I don't know. You'll have to tell me on Christmas Eve after you become one," he breathed, leaning down to capture her lips in his. He knew he should be comforting her, but he couldn't help himself.

Hermione broke the kiss after a few minutes and moved to get up. "I guess I better let you go then," she said, starting to pull her arm back through the robe sleeve. Before she could, Draco took her hand and tapped her arm with his wand, casting a silent charm to alleviate the pain and vanish the bruise completely. "Thanks," she smiled back at him, righting her clothes and being impressed with his healing ability.

"I never want to have to do that again, Hermione," Draco said in earnest. "But if you ever get hurt, you can come to me and I'll fix it," he promised.

Hermione reached up to kiss him one more time before turning to leave the sitting room. Then she remembered Lucius sitting in the living room. _Bollocks!_ "You don't happen to have another Floo, do you?" she asked, biting her lip.

"No," he replied, "but I'll come with you." He had no idea how he was going to deal with the situation between Hermione and his father. The look his father gave her when she arrived reminded him of a look he used to see from him at Death Eater meetings, and it was disconcerting. He needed to come up with a plan, so for now he was just going to try and make Hermione as comfortable as possible.

Hermione sighed and nodded, letting him take her hand and lead her to the living room. When they got there, thankfully, Lucius was already gone.

* * *

When Draco escorted Hermione to his own wing of the house, Lucius chuckled to himself. He had no idea the Mudblood had been hiding that body behind all those clothes.

However, as delicious as the idea of taking advantage of Miss Granger might have been, he knew there was a higher purpose here. He had to restore the honor of the name of Malfoy, especially since he had been given the distinction of ruining it in the first place. In order to do this, his son had to marry the Mudblood. If he did anything to jeopardize that, it would be counter-productive.

He must get his son down the aisle, and if that meant making himself scarce around the manor, he could do that. He hated the idea of tip-toeing around a little girl with dirty blood in his own home, but some sacrifices had to be made. In time, he could get his son to see how insignificant she was in the grand scheme. Perhaps, after Draco got into the girl's knickers, that dreamy look he got in his eyes every time she was around would go away and the boy would see clearly again.

Lucius sipped his tea in the dining room and decided to bide his time until his opportunity arose.

* * *

As the weeks went by, Hermione and Draco only got closer. They had already agreed to "dates" at least once a week, but found themselves seeing each other at least four times a week. Usually they spent time in Malfoy Manor in order to get Hermione acclimated and to avoid the paparazzi that were stalking them now that they'd heard about the upcoming wedding.

It was already November and Hermione had, surprisingly, gotten most of the wedding plans finished. It wasn't very hard. The Weasleys had politely declined her invitation considering Ron wasn't speaking to her. Her parents had been killed in Australia before she could find them after the war. Really, all she had was Harry and a few friends from Hogwarts that she wasn't very close to anymore. Draco didn't have many friends either, and only his father in the way of family. So the wedding would be a very small affair at the Manor. Easy.

On this particular night at Malfoy Manor, Draco and Hermione had business to attend to. In regards to the book she was writing, he'd agreed to let her interview him about his role as a Death Eater and subsequent turn to the light. It was possibly the most important interview she would get, next to Lucius', but that was an interview she wasn't looking forward to conducting. Of course, that thought was far from her mind with the amazing things Draco was doing with his mouth on her skin.

Draco continued to kiss a trail down her neck as Hermione squirmed beneath him on his sitting room couch. "Draco..." she almost moaned, as she tried to make her voice sound stable. "You promised me you would do this interview," she breathed, her head fuzzy from the feel of his skin on hers and the smell of his cologne all around her.

Draco sighed and moved off of her, choosing to sit next to her on the couch, his arm still tight around her. "I know," he said. Truth be told, he was very nervous about giving his account of the war. Even if he did switch sides, he'd still watched Hermione being tortured in his drawing room and did nothing to help her, more worried about his own safety at the time. He'd done things he wasn't proud of, but if this book could prevent another war, he knew he had to do it. Besides, he was finding, quickly, that he couldn't say 'no' to Hermione when she really wanted something.

He bit back the laughter as Hermione pulled out a notepad and a Quick Notes Quill. "I hate these things," she said. "They remind me of that vapid bitch, Rita Skeeter. But I don't want to have my head in my notes when I'm interviewing you." She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. All Draco could think about was how adorable she looked when she was all business. It reminded him of their Hogwarts days, and he asked himself for the millionth time why he never noticed how bloody gorgeous this girl was a long time ago.

"Okay, perhaps we should start at the beginning," she said. "How did you become a Death Eater?"

"Well, that's not really the beginning, is it?" Draco countered. "I'll tell you how I came to take the Dark Mark, but really the beginning happened long before that." Hermione motioned for him to continue.

"When I was seven years old, my mother was in Paris with one of her relatives and left me with my father for the entire weekend. I'd thought this would mean we'd go flying or to Diagon Alley to get ice cream and sweets. Instead, that was the weekend that my father instilled his pureblood ideology into me. We spent hours discussing propagandist books, talking about why 'Mudbloods' were inferior, and by the time my mother got home on Sunday, I was convinced that Purebloods were superior to everyone else, and Malfoys were at the top of the food-chain. I guess I'd always heard those messages from my father, but the fact that he'd taken three solid days with me to express the importance of these views, even at seven, I knew this was something that was not debatable. To tell you the truth, the notion that I was superior was not something I wanted to question anyway."

"Is this a common practice in pureblood households?" Hermione asked.

"That I can't answer. But I do know it was fairly common among my friends in Slytherin. Then again, most of their fathers were also Death Eaters."

"Let's move onto the Dark Mark, and we can come back to your time at Hogwarts later," Hermione said. She wasn't sure if she could handle that interview today. As much as she was growing to trust Draco, re-opening old wounds was not something she thought was wise at this juncture in their relationship.

Draco took a deep breath before continuing. "So, after you and your friends thwarted the Dark Lord from getting the prophesy in the Department of Mysteries, my father was arrested and taken to Azkaban. At that point, he couldn't deny ties to the Dark Lord. My mother and I were social lepers. Not to mention, my father had sorely pissed off Voldemort." He shuddered as he mentioned the name.

"As a punishment, he set up shop in our house. Every day I heard their parties and revels and it was disgusting. My mother was always fairly frail and could do nothing to stop it. I was terrified. Suddenly I was the man of the house. One night, not long before our sixth year, the Dark Lord called my mother and I into a private meeting. I thought it was strange that he would do this because usually he loved an audience for everything he did. My mother must have been concerned too, because she clutched my hand tightly in hers." Draco felt the tears slip down his cheeks before he realized he was crying.

"Draco, if you don't want to do this, we can wait," Hermione said, moving closer to him, rubbing the back of his neck with her hand.

"No, this is important," Draco said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before he continued, "That was when the Dark Lord told me that I would become a Death Eater. He said that my father had failed him, and that if I were to fail him, my mother would be killed. I didn't know what to do. The single most important thing in my life was my mother. I'd already grown to resent my father, but my mother was always loving to me," Draco explained. He really wanted Hermione to understand this. He knew he had to take responsibility for his actions but he never wanted to be a Death Eater. Not even then.

"I had two minutes to make my decision. My mother tried to tell me with her eyes not to do it, but the thought of her in danger was too much for me. I nodded and within seconds the Dark Lord had my left arm in his hand and a searing pain ran through my body. My arm was still throbbing when I was given my assignment."

"And what was that assignment exactly?" Hermione asked, still running her hand through Draco's platinum locks.

"I was to kill Dumbledore, the most powerful Wizard in the world, and let the Death Eaters into the castle on the same night," Draco answered.

"What I didn't realize at the time, out of my own hubris, was that I had been set up to fail from the beginning. I thought the Dark Lord might see promise in me, and my pride wouldn't let me see what was so obvious. He wanted me to fail. It was a punishment for my father's failure. He never expected me to kill Dumbledore, and when I failed, he would kill me." Draco pulled her hand from his hair and kissed the tips of her fingers.

"My mother knew it though. It is why she went to Snape." Draco looked up at Hermione with immense sadness in his eyes. "I wish you could have known her."

"I do too, Draco," Hermione sniffled. "Do you want to stop? Or do you have time for one more tonight?"

"I can answer another."

"When did you decide to switch sides and why?" Hermione asked.

"Part of me dreamed about switching sides that first night with the Dark Mark. But the night I stood in the Astronomy Tower, pointing my wand at Dumbledore, I knew I was not a Death Eater. When I got back to the Manor after Snape and I fled, I went to my mother and told her I wanted out. I was surprised to find she was proud of me. We worked on a plan to bring down the Dark Lord from the inside with Snape. After he'd made the Unbreakable Vow with my mother, we knew we could use that against him to be loyal to us. Little did we know he'd been a spy for Dumbledore for the last 15 years."

Hermione hadn't realized Draco had been working on their side for that long. Truth be told, she assumed he had a last minute change of heart during the battle.

"Can I ask you a personal question, off the record?" she asked timidly.

"Of course," Draco smiled at her, pushing her hair behind her ear as he cupped her cheek.

"If you were working against the Dark Lord, why didn't you help us at Malfoy Manor that night Greyback and his friends caught us?" She hated to remember that night. She still had nightmares about Bellatrix torturing her over and over again. She was certain she was going to die that night. And for a moment she wanted to. She still avoided the dining room and drawing room at the Manor whenever she could.

Draco's breath hitched. This was the one question he never wanted her to ask him, and it was the one question to which he knew she deserved an answer. "Hermione, that was one of the worst nights of my life," he admitted. "Even before I saw you as my future wife, it killed me to see you tortured like that."

Hermione tried to stop the tears from escaping, but it was a futile battle. "It's okay, Draco. I'm not blaming you for anything. You covered for us that night. I just want to understand."

"Snape made it clear what we were to do. He said breaking from the plan would end in disaster. He was like a chess master, arranging all the pieces until it was time to check mate. I had to trust he knew what he was doing because I didn't have a plan. He promised me that making one move outside of the plan could tumble the house of cards. If I was ever going to be free and save my mother, I had to do what I was told," he explained.

It all made sense to Hermione. If she were in his position, she'd have done the exact same thing. He was thinking of the greater good when he watched her being tortured, and a big part of her couldn't help but respect and admire his ability to do that. She pulled his face to hers, and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?" Draco asked, dazed from the kiss and the memories.

"For being strong enough to do the right thing," she said simply. Draco smiled back at her and wrapped his arms tight around her waist. No one had ever thanked him for his role in the war. That wasn't why he did it. But to know that Hermione respected him for his part was something that he hadn't expected, but greatly appreciated.

"It's late, and as much as I'd like for you to stay, you should probably go," he murmured against her lips. In a little over a month he wouldn't have to let her go, and that idea excited him more than it probably should have.


	6. Virginal Bookworm Woes

**Virginal Bookworm Woes**

Lucius had been avidly reading the _Daily Prophet_ every day, looking for stories about Draco and his fiancée. Almost every issue featured them somewhere. Miss Granger was practically Wizarding royalty and Draco was one of the wealthiest men in England. Add to that the drama of them being on opposing sides at the beginning of the war, and the likes of Rita Skeeter were having a field day.

It suited Lucius just fine. It seemed that, even though Draco and the Mudblood were holed up in the manor almost every night, it didn't stop the press from writing their own outlandish stories about the couple. All included a "changed" Draco sweeping the Gryffindor princess off her feet. The Malfoy family hadn't looked so good since before Voldemort drafted him into his ranks.

With the wedding fast approaching, Lucius was growing tired of standing in the shadows. This was his house, even if the deed did belong to Draco now, and he couldn't help but resent Granger forcing him to be a recluse inside his own home. In the end, she'd learn her place around the house. He just had to get her down the aisle before he flexed his muscle, so to speak.

His son was a completely different problem. He had to find a way, after the wedding, to make Draco realize that the Mudblood was nothing more than a prop. She was sub-human and he didn't like the way his only son turned into a love-sick puppy every time she was around. It was disgusting. A Mudblood had two uses: a humping post and target practice. Now, he was getting a little more out of this particular Mudblood because she would resurrect the Malfoy name. Other than that, she was useless to them.

Useless as she might have been, she did have her qualities. On one hand, he could understand Draco's attraction. She was sexy, in a naughty librarian kind of way. From his eaves-dropping around the house he discovered she was a virgin. He had to hand it to his son, deflowering the war hero was a pretty exciting prospect. If he weren't so committed to using her to get the Malfoys back on top, he'd have had to take her for himself.

That thought was cut off with his son entering the room, "Father," he said, nodding curtly at the man. "I am going to Hermione's house to finalize the wedding plans. I trust you don't need anything?"

"Nothing," Lucius replied, turning back to his newspaper. _Hermione_. When had Draco started calling her Hermione? He could deal with having his bloodline tarnished with a half-blood heir, but that sappy look on his son's face where the Mudblood was concerned was too much.

* * *

Hermione was worrying her bottom lip the way she always did when she was concentrating. She had her head in a book when Draco Flooed to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He smirked at her from the fireplace, still amazed that her mind was able to concentrate so hard that she didn't even notice someone Flooing into the very room where she was sitting.

She absentmindedly twirled a strand of curls round as she nodded to herself, engrossed in her book. He couldn't help himself. A bit of his adolescent self took over, and before even announcing his arrival, he reached over and pulled the book out of her hands.

Hermione gasped, eyes wide, when she felt the book she was reading being pulled from her grasp. "Draco! Give that back!" she shrieked, reaching up to grab the book back. He held it high out of her reach and just laughed.

"How did you not hear me come in?" he asked with a chuckle. "What has you concentrating so hard?"

He pulled the book down to look at what she was reading but Hermione lunged at him, trying to get the book back before he could see it. "It's none of your business, Malfoy! Now, give me my book back," she pouted and screamed at the same time. It was a skill he'd only ever seen Hermione pull off.

Of course, her reaction only made him more curious. With one hand he held her in place against him, while the other hand held the book out of her reach but in his line of sight. "The Art of Making Love," he read aloud from the title.

Hermione stopped squirming and buried her head in the crook of Draco's arm. If she could crawl in a hole and die at that moment, she would have.

Draco flipped to the page she had been on and read the first paragraph:

_"Often women find that, for the first time, being on top of her partner is most comfortable for love making. This allows her to control the pace and force at which her lover enters her. Open communication is key when it comes to losing your virginity. A loving partner will want to make the experience as beautiful for his lover as it is for himself."_

"Oh god..." Hermione moaned, finally pulling out of Draco's embrace. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. All she wanted was to get prepared for their wedding night. She didn't need to draw attention to the fact that she was completely and totally inexperience and would likely not be able to please her husband.

Draco, on the other hand, was completely turned on. He never really considered that Hermione thought about sex outside their make-out sessions, which had been very tame. Looking at Hermione, though, he could tell that she was embarrassed and likely wouldn't look at him for the rest of the day unless they talked about this.

"Hermione, look at me," he said, lifting her chin to look at him as he set the book down next to him.

Finally she lifted her eyes to his. "What?" she snapped.

"Why are you embarrassed. Most people read books about sex. And considering you have read almost every book ever written, why should this one bother you?" he asked.

"Because!" Hermione huffed. "You think I don't know how many women you've been with, Draco? We might not have been friends in school but _everybody_ knew. I've never done any of this before. Ron and I kissed a handful of times. Viktor and I kissed once. I don't know what I'm doing, and I _hate_ not knowing what I'm doing." Her breath was coming out in frustrated pants by the end of her tirade.

Draco blinked at her, shocked at her outburst. In the entire time of their relationship, they'd only had a few spats, and most of them were mild. While he remembered this side of her from school, he really wasn't expecting it. "Are you telling me that you think you won't be good?" he asked finally. The thought was so preposterous he almost didn't want to ask.

"Of course, you git!" she yelled again. "How could I be any good? I don't know what to do, or how to do it. I'm reading Muggle books written 30 years ago for some insight, but they can only explain so much. I'm nervous and inexperienced, and I hate failing! You know I hate failing!"

Draco couldn't help it. The laughter pealed out of him in loud bursts. The idea of Hermione "failing" at sex was as unimaginable as the idea of Snape handing out ice cream to little kids out of the kindness of his heart.

His laughter was cut short when he saw the look in Hermione's eyes. Tears were threatening to spill over at any second, but before he could reach out to comfort her, she pulled herself off the couch and ran up the stairs. "I'm glad this is so amusing to you, Malfoy!" she bit out before throwing herself into her bedroom, slamming the door and locking it behind her.

_Circe's twat!_ Draco knew the minute the laugh escaped his mouth it was a bad idea. Usually, Hermione was feisty and confident. Apparently that did not extend to her sexual prowess. He guessed he could understand her being nervous. For a girl, losing your virginity was a very big deal.

He sighed and pulled himself up the stairs to the room he knew was hers. He tried the door first. Locked, of course. "Hermione, I'm sorry," he tried. Nothing.

"What's the deal?" Harry asked, irritably, popping his head out of his door. Clearly they had woken him.

"Hermione's locked herself in her room," Draco explained. He and Harry were probably not going to be best friends any time soon, but they had a cordial relationship. Enough that Draco didn't sneer at him like he used to.

"What did you do?" Harry asked, a smirk playing on his lips. He'd been on this side of Hermione's wrath before, and he had to admit that he was happy to finally see Draco experiencing it.

Draco gritted his teeth. As much as he was friendly with Potter, there was no way he was going to discuss his sex life with him. "None of your business," he muttered, knocking on the door again.

"Let me," Harry finally said, when Draco got no response. He pulled a shirt on and went over to Hermione's door. "Hermione," he called softly. "Let me in."

After a minute of shuffling, the door finally opened and a red faced Hermione cracked the door. "Only you," she said, opening the door just wide enough for Harry to enter.

It was Draco's turn to get angry. How dare she ignore him and then invite Potter to "comfort" her. He was barely even dressed. He didn't need The-Boy-Who-Lived to fix this fight. He just needed Hermione to talk to him so he could explain. If this was what marriage was going to be like, they were going to have a very big problem.

He silently fumed, pacing in front of her door for at least five minutes before the door finally opened and Harry stepped out. "She will see you now," Harry said. Draco wanted to slap the smug look off the man's face. Instead, he growled and pushed past him into Hermione's room.

He slammed the door behind him and locked it, placing a Silencing Charm for good measure. He didn't need Potter to listen to their conversation.

"What was that?" he spat, looking at her sitting on her bed, legs tucked under her. It didn't matter how adorable she looked, he wanted an explanation. He shouldn't have laughed at her, but she shouldn't have chosen Potter over him.

"What are you talking about?' she asked, obviously still upset with him.

"Potter?" Draco clarified. "You wouldn't even answer me, but when Potter comes to your door you roll out the welcome mat."

"He's my friend," Hermione explained.

"And I'm your fiancé," Draco countered.

Hermione huffed. "My fiancé who laughs at me when I'm clearly feeling self-conscious," she replied. "I know that you might not understand, but you didn't have to laugh at me."

"I wasn't laughing at you," Draco said, his voice softening a bit. "You just don't get it. The idea that you could ever be bad at sex is so absurd to me that I couldn't help it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in inquiry.

"Most of sex is natural, Hermione. It's instinctual. When someone feels about someone else, the way I feel about you, it would be impossible for the sex to be bad." He didn't know exactly how to explain those feelings, but he knew they were strong and the sex would be amazing.

"I just don't like being the one who doesn't know what to expect." Hermione sighed, pulling Draco to sit on the bed next to her. "I've never even had an...an..." she couldn't even finish her sentence as she blushed furiously.

"Orgasm?" Draco supplied.

"Yeah."

That was something he was definitely looking forward to showing her. "Trust me," he finally said. "When I'm done with you, you won't be able to say that again." He grinned down at her.

She smiled back up at him and slipped her arms around his neck. "Shall we finalize the plans? The wedding is only in two weeks."

"Sure," Draco said, "but first I want to ask you something."

"Okay."

"Why do you trust Potter more than me?" Draco asked.

"I..." Hermione gulped. She wanted to deny his accusation, but the truth was that she _did_ trust Harry more than anyone. "I'm trying, Draco," she explained. "Harry has been my very best friend for almost ten years. I do trust you. It will just take time for me to trust you as much as Harry because we've been friends longer. And, regardless of the developments in our relationship, you and I were enemies all through school."

Draco began to argue but she shushed him and continued. "At the end of the day, Draco, I am marrying you. You are going to be my husband. That is a part of me that Harry will never have. In time I'm sure I will come to trust you even more than him. But until then, you have to let me keep him close. He's my only real friend."

"Aren't I your friend?" Draco countered.

"You are going to be more," Hermione answered.


	7. Christmas Eve

**Christmas Eve**

Hermione grunted in frustration and narrowed her eyes at the parchment in front of her.

**_Hermione,_**

**_I really don't know what you want from me. You have Harry and Malfoy now, and I don't see what assistance I could give you. Furthermore, after the way you took Harry's side in our break up, I don't even know why you want to see me._**

**_No, I will not be at the wedding. I believe I already told you that. Considering what you did to my brother, it takes some gall to think I'd want to come. I don't see what we could possibly have to talk about at this point. Enjoy your new husband._**

**_Ginny_**

To tell the truth, she hadn't expected a good response from Ginny when she'd Owled her, but she really wanted to talk to someone who might quell her fears about getting married and losing her virginity. Ginny had been one of her best friends at one time. Sure, they hadn't really spoken since she and Harry broke up, but Hermione had still considered her a friend at one point.

She'd known there was a problem between them, but she didn't know how bad it was. Hermione was partially at fault for not trying to mend fences with Ginny after 'the breakup', but to be fair, Ginny was being extremely unreasonable at the time. Harry had made the choice to break up with Ginny because he didn't feel the spark, and it was becoming more and more clear that Ginny wanted to date 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' rather than the real Harry Potter and all his faults.

Then, when Ron cut her out of his life, his family did too, including Ginny. George still corresponded with Hermione, but she could tell that he was afraid of breaking ranks given that he still lived at the Burrow with his mother. She assumed Bill and Charlie would speak to her if she passed them on the street - they were out of the house after all - but she couldn't be sure how far Molly's influence actually carried.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, noting his fiancée's sour expression from across the room.

Hermione just sighed and flipped the letter in his direction. Draco read it and returned her sigh. "Hermione, I know this is hard, but the truth is, if this is how she feels, she wasn't ever really your friend to begin with."

"I know that, Draco," Hermione snapped before regaining her composure. "The problem is, knowing that doesn't make me feel any better." She moved to sit in Draco's lap and rested her head on his chest. "This is just not the way I imagined everything being. You make me very happy, and I am actually very excited to marry you. But I never thought I'd be planning the whole thing myself. I never thought that the only two people I could really call friends would be you and Harry. As wonderful as both of you are, neither of you are girls."

"Certainly not," Draco smirked.

Hermione just rolled her eyes. "There are just some things that girls can only talk about with other girls. There is a bond that girls share, and I've been without that bond for a long time now. With our wedding a week away, I really could have used a woman to talk to. That's all."

"Is this about the sex?" Draco asked. He'd thought that he'd already dealt with that problem.

"It's more than that." Hermione explained. "It's just that planning my wedding has made me really miss my mom." She tried to hold back the sniffle, but it was a futile battle.

Draco squeezed her tighter. "I might not be a girl, but I do understand exactly what you mean in that respect."

Hermione looked into his eyes, astonished. "Really?" She'd never considered that he might be feeling the same emotions she was.

"Mother and I had talked about my wedding many times while I was growing up. Of course, it was likely going to be an arranged marriage at the time, but it was still something she was very excited about planning. She never had a daughter, and I was more than happy to listen to her fantasy wedding plans." Draco congratulated himself on not crying as he talked about his mother.

"Oh Draco!" Hermione cried, pulling him to her. "I should have thought of talking to you before. I'm sorry. I'm so self-absorbed lately."

"Nonsense," Draco smiled, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

* * *

Thirty guests were gathered on the back lawn of Malfoy Manor. It had been charmed so that the guests would stay warm while still sitting in a Winter Wonderland of snow and Christmas foliage.

Draco stood in front of them, next to the Ministry official that would preside over the ceremony. He wasn't nervous at all. His whole life he'd been told he'd have to agree to an arranged marriage. Hermione was his choice, even if the circumstances were not ideal. He felt more for her than he'd felt for any of the silly girls he bedded in school, and he knew that she would only continue to excite him. The day he once used to dread was here, and he couldn't help but smile to himself at the possibilities that lay before him.

Inside the house, Hermione was pacing around Draco's sitting room, trying to keep her breathing under control. Her things had already been moved to the Manor. She was dressed and ready to walk down the aisle with Draco Malfoy. This was it. Her life as she knew it would change completely after tonight.

Part of her was excited to start this new chapter in her life. Another part of her was nervous to jump into the unknown. It wasn't like she had much of a choice in the matter as it was.

Before she could completely freak herself out, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she called, already know who it must be.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked, after finally being able to find his voice. Hermione looked stunning in a beautiful strapless ivory and champagne gown that looked like it came straight out of a magazine. There was a twinge in his heart as he considered that, perhaps, in another universe, he could have been the lucky man waiting for this woman to greet him at the end of the aisle.

But it was no use thinking that way. Hermione would never be his. Wizarding marriages were not like Muggle marriages. After tonight, Hermione would be bound to Malfoy forever.

"I'm ready," she said, her voice was even although he could see her hands trembling as she grabbed her bouquet. Since she had no remaining family, and he was her closest friend, Harry agreed to walk her down the aisle and stand with her as she married Draco.

He offered her his arm and she smiled at him, taking it. "Let's do this," she said.

When Harry led her out the French doors to the beautiful set up outside, Hermione's heart started to race. The feeling was not unpleasant at all. It felt like excitement and hope combined. The gardens had the lightest dusting of snow on them as custom warming charms kept the guests warm while allowing for the beauty of the winter's first snow. The crimson aisle that lead up to the minister and her future husband was lined by the most beautiful calla lilies.

The small group of thirty that had assembled to watch them wed turned to watch her walk down the aisle and she felt a smile slip onto her face. When she caught sight of Draco, the smile only widened. He looked...gorgeous.

She felt like she was in a dream as she approached him. She was vaguely aware of a few of her classmates who she'd felt close enough to invite. Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom were there. Angelina Johnson had decided to come as well. She guessed George had sent his wife because he wasn't able to come. The thought made her smile.

The whole experience of walking down the aisle was surreal, and she didn't even notice when Harry placed hand in Draco's, who smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. This pulled her out of her daze and she focused only on the man that would be her husband in a few short moments.

"We are gathered here today for the union of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger," The Ministry official started. Hermione and Draco were more interested in each other than what he was saying, though.

Draco noticed the slight tremor in Hermione's hands, but the look in her eyes told him she was happy regardless of the nerves. He focused on the feeling of her soft skin against his and smiled down at her. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe she was about to become his, forever.

Hermione's nerves started to dissipate as she stared back at Draco. Something about him calmed her. Any doubts she had flew out of her head when he held her hands in his and smiled at her like she was the only woman in the world.

Somewhere in the heat of their gaze they heard the Minister clear his voice. "Mister Malfoy, your signature, please." Draco dropped Hermione's hand just long enough to sign the binding parchment.

"Miss Granger," the official said, offering the parchment to her. She signed as well, her hand now completely steady. As soon as she finished, the man brandished his wand and began a series of intricate wand movements around the couple. A golden light surrounded them as both of them felt their skin tingle with enchantments that bound them together as man and wife.

"In accordance with the law of the Ministry of Magic of England, I now would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy." Draco's eyes sparkled at Hermione for the briefest second before he lowered his mouth to hers and sealed their bonding with a perfect kiss.

Hermione's head was still humming when they turned around to greet their clapping guests.

* * *

After an intimate dinner with their guests, Hermione and Draco said goodbye and watched them leave. Harry was the last to leave, planting a chaste kiss on Hermione's cheek on the way out. "Watch out, Potter. She's a married woman now," Draco said, but the twinkle in his eyes showed both Harry and Hermione that he wasn't serious.

"You can still come visit me any time you want, Hermione." Harry said, before he shook Draco's hand and left out the front door. Hermione felt a pang at realizing they'd never live together again, but pushed it aside, knowing she was about to start a new and exciting adventure with Draco.

"I'll be in my private study, so you two can be as loud as you want," Lucius drawled from behind them. The smirk on his face made Hermione want to punch the man square in the jaw. His eyes moved up and down her body, causing her to move behind Draco, just slightly, as if to hide herself from his gaze. He was making her feel dirty. His leering was something she didn't think she'd ever get used to.

"Good night, Father," Draco bit out, placing a protective arm around Hermione who was shaking again. He hoped that she would become used to having his father around, but this was her first night, and his father wasn't making this any easier. Part of him never expected him to. "Come on, Hermione," he finally said, pulling her with him towards their wing of the mansion.

"He's just trying to get a rise out of you," Draco said once they were out of earshot.

"I know, but it doesn't make it any less creepy," Hermione muttered.

"Let's just forget about him tonight," Draco suggested. "I have a wedding present for you," he smiled.

"I didn't know we were supposed to get each other gifts," Hermione said, squeezing his hand tightly in hers. "I didn't get you one." He thought it was adorable the way her bottom lip jutted out when she was upset.

"You will, later," Draco said, letting her catch his meaning. "Besides, it's not the kind of gift you are thinking of. Oh, here we are!"

He stopped in front of a room Hermione had never been in before. He moved behind her and placed both hands over his eyes. "Draco...what..."

"Just trust me," he breathed in her ear as he pushed the door open with his foot and led her into the room. When they had reached the center of the room, he removed his hands.

Hermione let her eyes adjust. What she saw was beautiful. It was almost like a study, but with more books in it. Every wall was lined with built-in bookshelves and deep red wallpaper. There was a large window looking over the grounds, and in front of it was a massive desk with a brand new computer on top. She was surprised he even knew what one was. She'd mentioned to him over a month ago that she'd been able to get muggle electronics to work in the magical world, but that sort of thing often went over Draco's head.

"I wanted you to have a place of your own. I figured you could work on the book in here. I got the computer when Potter mentioned that you like to use the internet on a daily basis. I've never had a need for one, but I wanted you to have whatever you need," Draco said, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Draco, it's beautiful. I don't know what to say." She was stunned that he would do something like this for her. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Would you like to see the rest of our wing?" Draco asked. He didn't know how to proceed. All he'd planned was to show her the study, the rest he was playing by ear. She'd been in several rooms of their wing already, but never got an official tour.

"Maybe tomorrow," Hermione said, pulling his hands into hers. "Right now, why don't you show me the bedroom." She fought hard not to choke out the words. She was ready to lose her virginity, and she was happy to give it to Draco, but she was still nervous. If they spent the next hour doing a tour, she'd likely be a ball of nerves by the time they made it to bed.

To tell the truth, Draco hoped she'd say something like that. He had been on edge all day thinking about taking her back to their bedroom. He pulled her body flush against his own and pressed his lips against hers.

Hermione sighed into him and his tongue swept across her lips and into her mouth. Her pulse began to race as she kissed him back with the same vigor.

The only reason Draco was able to pull himself from Hermione was because he knew it was necessary to get them to his bedroom. "Come on," he said, taking her hand in his again.

She followed him silently, her excitement growing with each step. Her study was not far from the bedroom, and soon she was being pulled into the huge room that she'd previously known as Draco's bedroom. Now, it was her room as well.

"It looks a little different," she noticed.

"Yeah, I had Bitsy and the elves unpack all of your stuff and make the room a little less...masculine," he said, quirking his lips up into a smirk.

Hermione giggled at that. "Well thank you," she said, pulling him back to her.

The tension in the air was back again, and Draco couldn't stop himself from running his long fingers up Hermione's arm, to her neck, and to the clip holding her hair loosely in place. Her hair tumbled down in long messy curls and he couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers through them. "Hermione..." he almost moaned, his breath ticking her lips as he bent down to kiss her.

"Yes, Draco?" she replied, her heavy lidded eyes filled with lust. She'd never felt so hot. Her skin was overheating and he'd barely touched her.

To answer her, Draco caught her lips in his again, gently this time, and let his hands travel back down from her hair. One cupped her neck, holding her in place while the other moved to her waist, wrapping around her and holding her tightly to him. "We can go as slow as you want," he said, parting from her to breathe again.

"I'm ready, Draco." Hermione said. "I'm nervous, but I want this." She didn't sound like she was trying to convince him. When he looked into her eyes, he saw a level of lust he'd never seen before. She was ready for him, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world to be able to share this experience with her.

He continued to kiss her as he gently pushed her toward the bed. When her legs hit the edge, both tumbled on top of the silk sheets. "Wait," Hermione said, pushing Draco off her.

"What? Am I going too fast?" Draco asked, concerned.

Hermione giggled again. "No, it's just that if you want to get me out of this dress, you are never going to manage it on the bed," she explained.

"Oh," Draco replied, a little befuddled. When Hermione stood up and turned her back to him, he understood what she meant. It was a nightmare. Not only was the entire back laced up, but there were about fifty hooks he had to undo before the dress could be pulled free from her.

Before he could aim his wand at her dress she cried out, "Wait!"

"What?" Draco asked, concerned that she was already having second thoughts.

"You can't take it off with magic. It's a Muggle dress and they don't react well to magic." Hermione explained, looking back at him with an apologetic look on her face.

"Perhaps you should have let me pick the dress," he grunted. She looked breathtaking in the dress she chose, but all he wanted to do was see her out of it. He began the work of unlacing and unhooking the bodice until finally it pulled free. Hermione let the dress fall to the floor and she stepped out of it.

She was apprehensive as she stood before him in her white strapless bra and knicker set, white thigh high nylons, and a pink and white garter. She'd never been this naked in front of anyone before, and standing in front of a man who could make the cover of _GQ_ every month of the year only made her more self conscious.

"Wow..." Draco breathed, taking her all in. They were very comfortable with the kissing stage of their relationship, but never progressed past a few innocent touches before. As he looked at her, all he could think of was how lucky he was to have her. She looked fantastic to him; clean and pure and dressed in bright white lingerie. Everything that represented goodness was all rolled up into this beautiful and extremely sexy woman standing in front of him. Sure he had been with other women, but none that made his heart race or aroused him this much.

Hermione blushed and pulled Draco into a kiss. "I think it's your turn, isn't it?" She asked, a sexy smirk on her lips. She reached up for Draco's tie and loosened it before slipping it over his head. Next, her nimble fingers worked the buttons of his shirt. She didn't know how she was able to maintain any sort of brain power in the moment, but she finally got the shirt off him.

His perfect pale chest looked like it was sculpted from marble, and before she could stop herself she leaned forward and placed butterfly kisses on the soft skin of his chest. Draco's arms tightened around her again. He moved to the bed and pulled her down with him.

After her exploration of his chest, he pulled her mouth to his, devouring it hungrily. She laid down in the center of the bed and pulled him down on top of her. "Mmm, Draco..." she breathed as his mouth moved down her throat and began to suck on a very sensitive bit of flesh.

"You are so beautiful," Draco murmured, running his hands up and down Hermione's sides. His mouth kept heading south, finally kissing the ample flesh that was spilling over her bra.

"May I?" Draco asked, indicating that he'd like to remove it.

"You can do whatever you want," Hermione almost moaned. When she realized what she'd said, her face turned bright red. She was acting like a wanton slag. She'd never felt so turned on, and at this point Draco could literally do whatever he wanted with her and she'd probably just beg for more.

Draco chuckled and moved his hand behind Hermione to flick the clasp of her bra with one hand. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, smirking as his eyes feasted on her newly exposed breasts. They were perfect. They were large enough but in perfect proportion to rest of her delicious body.

Hermione's mind went fuzzy as Draco's mouth and tongue did amazing things to the skin of her breasts. When his teeth finally settled around her right nipple, her body arched into him and a loud moan escaped her lips. He worked both breasts like a master before he finally moved further down her body.

His tuxedo trousers were becoming so tight from getting aroused that it was almost painful. So, before further exploration, Draco moved back into a kneeling position and began to unbuckle his belt. "May I?" Hermione asked, looking up at him through her lashes.

Draco nodded and moved his hands away. Hermione quickly replaced them with hers, deftly slipping the belt out of its buckle. She then unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers and let them fall to his hips. She tried to push them down, but as he was sitting on his heels she couldn't. Draco smiled at her and moved off the bed just long enough to rid himself of his trousers, flinging them over a chair near the window.

Clad only in his black, silk boxers, Draco moved back to the bed, slowly crawling on top of Hermione and settling his pelvis between her legs. She moaned at the feeling of the smooth silk between her thighs . "Kiss me, Draco," she almost begged.

He wasted no time devouring her mouth again as his hands explored her body. His cock was standing erect against her thigh and he could feel the warmth of her quim radiating against him. It was about to kill him. "Hermione," he whispered in her ear as he sucked on her earlobe. "I want to try something. Do you trust me?"

"Yes..." Hermione replied, barely able to keep her eyes open with all of the sensual pleasure coursing thought her body. If she felt this good from almost naked kissing, she couldn't even imagine how sex with him would feel.

Draco smiled and made his way back down her body. He removed her stockings one by one as well as the garter, placing a chaste kiss on each of her feet. He kissed his way up on of her legs and placed his hands on her hips, letting his fingers slip into the waistband of her lace knickers.

Hermione bit her lip as she waited for him to pull off her last bits of clothing. She nodded at him as he looked up at her, ensuring that she was ready for what he had to offer. He slowly pulled the garment down her long, smooth legs and tossed them behind his back.

His hands slowly traveled up her legs and in between her thighs. He gently pushed her legs apart and settled himself between them again, this time, kissing her stomach and licking her bellybutton. Hermione had a pretty good idea where he was headed and she felt the wetness between her legs increase.

He kissed his way down her stomach and over her neatly trimmed curls. His hands pushed her legs further apart as his face moved over her wet heat. Her scent was intoxicating. He could smell the cinnamon from her soap mixed with the musty, tangy scent of her arousal. "Gods, Hermione..." he groaned before darting his tongue out to lick her wet slit.

"Oh," Hermione gasped in surprise. She'd never been touched like that, and the feeling was almost overwhelming. "Th-That feels good."

Draco smiled and continued to lick and suck Hermione's clit as he moved his hand up her thigh and gently stroked her opening. He inserted his fingertip inside her, just enough for her to feel the pressure, and felt her body arch into him.

Her moans grew louder as he sucked at her erect clit with more vigor. "Mmmm, don't stop." Hermione moaned. He barely had to touch her and she instantly responded with tremors. His cock pulsed at the thought of how she'd react when he was moving inside her. But for right now, he wanted to give her the orgasm she'd never had before.

Hermione felt heat building up inside her. Her stomach seemed to be filled with warm liquid and her whole body was tingling. It was like her insides were coiling up, getting ready to burst. Her breath was releasing in quick bursts as she climbed higher and higher, her body feeling more tightly wound with every lick and suck. "Oh, Merlin," she moaned. She didn't know how she could take anymore.

"Let go, Hermione," Draco moaned against her before diving back into her sweet wetness.

It only took a second before her body started to quake. She felt as if she was at the precipice of a mountain. Her insides which had seemed to be coiling tighter and tighter, were starting to spring free. Then, all at once, all the tension that had been building inside her since Draco laid his hands on her, burst.

Her legs began to shake violently as her vagina felt like it exploded in the sweetest way she could ever imagine. Words failed her as only ecstatic shrieks and moans tumbled out of her mouth and her body spasmed under Draco's.

Draco began to rub himself against the bed when he felt her come undone. The reckless abandon on her face was enough to make him want to explode in his boxers. He licked her juices as she began to come back down to earth, letting her ride the wave of her first orgasm before he moved back up her body and laid next to her.

"Wow," Hermione finally said when she could find her voice. She turned over to look at Draco and beamed at him. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever felt."

Draco couldn't keep the smug smile off his face. He did still have a male ego. He ran his hands up and down the skin of her arms. "So, how do you want to do this?" he asked, eager to be inside her. _So much for coming off cool and collected._

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. She was fairly certain Draco knew what he was doing. She was the one without any experience.

"I mean, I know the book said you should be on top, so I wondered if that was how you wanted to do it," Draco tried to explain. He wanted to strangle himself. _Shut up! You sound like an idiot!_, he shouted at himself.

"Oh," Hermione smiled. She was impressed that he even remembered what he'd read. "No, I want you to be on top." The last thing she needed was to be in control. Maybe it would be fun to hold the power later, but tonight she wanted Draco in the driver's seat.

"Come here," Draco said, his voice husky with arousal. Hermione moved closer to him, letting him wrap his arms around her. His kiss was hot and passionate. She felt the breath being pulled from her lungs and it wasn't a feeling she disliked in the least.

He rolled them over so he was laying over her again, his body cradled between her legs. He reached down to push his boxers off his hips. With a little help from Hermione's feet he was finally free of them. Hermione gasped as she felt the silky skin of his cock make contact with her wetness.

"Merlin, Hermione," Draco moaned, burying his head in the crook of her neck. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes, Draco," she breathed, "I want you inside me. Please." The nervous energy was back and she felt like she'd pass out if she didn't feel him inside her soon.

Draco nodded and reached down to take his cock in hand. He positioned himself at her entrance and rubbed her wetness over him, making sure he was slick. "This will probably hurt," he explained.

"I know, it's okay." Hermione breathed, her face, scrunched in concentration.

Draco leaned down and kissed her again as he quickly thrust into her in one stroke knowing that dragging it out would only make the pain worse. A gasp escaped Hermione's lips as she felt both pain and uncomfortable fullness. She wanted to push him off of her, but she already knew this was going to happen. The look of tenderness in his eyes as he stilled inside her was enough to convince her to wait it out.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked. His voice sounded strained and broken. His body was telling him to pound into her. His brain was reminding him that she was probably in pain. The look in her eyes only confirmed his brain's instincts.

"Yes," she answered, trying to level her voice. "Just give me one second."

After a few moments, the pain started to dissipate but she was still uncomfortable. "I think you can move now," she said, spreading her legs a little wider. Perhaps what she needed was friction.

Draco pulled out and plunged back in, taking his time as he moved within her. That was the greatest idea she'd ever had. The uncomfortable fullness was replaced with a dull tingling that felt delightful. "Yes..." she hissed.

"Oh Gods, Hermione, you feel so good." Draco groaned. He picked up speed slightly, feeling her grow wetter the faster he moved. The pain in her eyes was now replaced with unbridled lust. His hands caressed her soft skin as his cock moved in and out of her.

"F-faster," Hermione moaned as she dragged her nails down Draco's back. He didn't have to be asked twice. He gripped her hips and plowed into her faster. He could feel himself reaching climax soon and he didn't want to come without Hermione coming too. As he hiked one of her thighs up around his waist, he let his other hand move between them to gently stroke her clit.

"Ohhhh," Hermione moaned. "I think I'm going to..." but before she could finish her thought, her eyes snapped shut and her pussy clamped down on his engorged cock. Her body didn't shake this time, but her senses were overloaded with white hot pleasure. It was stronger than her first orgasm, and she didn't know if her body could handle it. All she knew was that she could die in that moment and not be upset about it.

When he felt her clinch around him, he nearly lost control. He fucked her harder and faster and finally exploded, spilling himself inside her quivering body. His breath was labored as he fell on top of her, holding his weight up enough not to crush her.

After a few moments he let his softening cock slip out of her and pulled her across his chest, holding her tight. "That was amazing," he said.

"It was perfect," she replied, her eyes falling shut as sleep immediately overtook her.


	8. Let the Games Begin

**Let the Games Begin**

Draco took a week off from work to spend with Hermione on their honeymoon. They spent the first few nights in Malfoy Manor, rarely leaving the bed. After their first night together, Hermione found herself a bit insatiable, although Draco couldn't complain about that. It was just a whole new world that she'd been exposed to and she wanted to explore it.

Finally, Draco convinced her to let him take her out. By out, she figured he meant to Diagon Alley or Muggle London. Nope. That wouldn't be Malfoy style. Instead, he pulled her close and Apparated them both to Morocco!

He told her he'd had Bitsy pack her a bag for the rest of their honeymoon. "But...but I thought we were staying at the Manor," Hermione had finally said, once she was able to process what he told her.

He just chuckled. "Like I was really going to let Lady Malfoy spend her honeymoon cooped up in our wing of the Mansion," he'd said, shaking his head at her. She deserved a real honeymoon, even if he only had five days off work to give it to her.

They got back from Morocco more relaxed and a little more tan. Hermione started to feel like her life had taken a turn for the perfect. She had an attentive, attractive, and brilliant husband. She had all the support she needed to finish her book. She had few friends, but the ones she had were real and loved her.

Draco didn't want to return to work, but Malfoy Inc. had been working on a new product line and he really needed to go back to put the finishing touches on it from an executive perspective. The whole week had been amazing. He never thought he'd feel about anyone the way he felt about Hermione. She was intelligent, funny, and completely sexy. His feelings were overwhelming for the little witch, and he felt lucky that he was able to have her.

"What are your plans for the first day of 'normalcy'?" he asked as he got ready for work the first morning after their honeymoon.

Hermione sighed and shrugged. "I think I'm going to attempt to get that interview with Lucius. He did say he'd be happy to give it to me anytime." To tell the truth, the thought of being alone with Lucius Malfoy to talk about his past as a Death Eater did not sound fun, but this interview would be invaluable to her research. Draco had given her a lot, but he was on the outside of the movement until just a year before the actual war. Lucius had been with Voldemort for almost twenty years.

"I think that's a good idea." Draco said, surprised. He has been positive that Hermione would put that interview off, at least until Draco was going to be home. However, he thought it was a great idea. The fact was, once his father saw how brilliant his wife was, he'd stop seeing her as a step-stone to freedom, and start seeing her as a human being.

On the other hand, he'd seen the way his father looked at Hermione, and besides making her uncomfortable it made Draco want to punch the man square in the jaw. He was sure Lucius was just trying to make her uncomfortable and that he wasn't actually a threat, but it did give him pause. "Just be careful," he finally said to her as he straightened his tie.

"What do you mean?" Did Draco think he was a danger? If so, why would he still let Lucius live here?

"Just don't let him get into your head," he explained. "He might try to turn the interview into a mind game. Just ignore that and get your answers."

"Okay, love," Hermione said, pecking him on the cheek as he made his way out the door. "I'll see you around 6:00?" she asked. Draco nodded and left for work with a smile on his face.

* * *

Lucius set the note he'd received from Bitsy and smirked to himself.

_**Lucius,**_

_**If you would be so kind, I'd like to conduct your interview for my book today at noon in the living room. Please send word back through Bitsy if this is agreeable.**_

_**Hermione.**_

_Well, well, well, it looks like the Gryffindor Princess is going to deliver herself to me sooner than I thought_, Lucius thought to himself. He hadn't ironed out all the details of his plan for her, but a day alone would certainly help him get into her head.

To tell the truth, now that Lucius had seen the Malfoy stock almost double after his son's nuptials, he was certain his plan had already worked in regard to restoring the Malfoy name. Now, his goal was to put that Mudblood in her place. She might be a Malfoy in name, but she would never be a Malfoy, and neither would her filthy children.

He also had to admit that more than a little bit of him had longed for an opportunity to revert back to his old self just a little. Sure, the Dark Lord had been crazy in the end, but he _had_ had fun with the man. Revels were always good fun and he longed for the days that he could have his way with an unwilling Muggle or Mudblood. Of course, that would not be possible, but mind games were completely in bounds.

Yes, today would be perfect for a meeting with his new daughter-in-law. He jotted down a reply to her and sent it off with Bitsy before returning to his study to figure out the best course of action to take first.

* * *

Hermione felt her heart racing as she sat down on the couch in the living room. Lucius wasn't there yet, which she was thankful for. She wanted to appear calm even if she wasn't. She'd bundled up in as many clothes as she could while trying not to look like it. No matter what Draco said, the way Lucius leered at her made her uncomfortable, so she wasn't going to give him anything to look at.

"I take it I'm to sit here," Lucius drawled as he entered the room and indicated the armchair across from her.

"Yes, thank you," she said, pasting a smile on her face. "I'm going to use the Quick Quotes Quill, if you don't mind," she said.

"That is perfectly fine, Miss Granger," Lucius answered. He looked totally relaxed and it unnerved her a little bit.

"Actually, it's Mrs. Malfoy now," she replied, letting the corner of her mouth quirk up just slightly as his features hardened.

"Yes, I guess it is," he said, though his voice didn't seem quite as casual any longer. As childish as it was, Hermione counted it as a victory. "So, I assume you want to know about my role in the war?" he asked, his voice taking back its usual bored tone.

"Actually, I have more questions about your time with Voldemort before October 31, 1981." Hermione said. "Draco and I have discussed the final war in detail and I have lots of information on the Death Eaters over the last three years of Voldemort's life. It is what happened before all of that, that will be my focus in this interview," she explained.

"I see," he said, crossing his legs and leaning back to get comfortable. His eyes traveled over her body and he smiled to himself as he realized she had decided to dress like a cloistered nun. If just a few looks could make her that nervous, imagine what the right words could make her do, or think.

"First of all, when exactly did you come to be a follower of Voldemort?" Hermione asked. Now that she was in interview mode, she could focus less on Lucius and more on the work. She wished she had a pen and paper to hold onto, but it was more professional to let the quill record the notes while she gave the interviewee her attention. Even if Lucius made her uncomfortable, she was a professional.

"My father and mother had always been sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause. He wasn't always the Dark Lord. At one time, he was just a wizard with an affinity for Dark Magic. But his position on blood purity was something my family had always appreciated." Lucius saw her flinch slightly, but to a casual observer they would have noticed nothing. She was, at least, a worthy opponent for his passive-aggressive assault, even if her blood was as dirty as the muck on the bottom of his shoes.

"One night, at this very Manor, the Dark Lord was a guest in our home. My parents had died, but I kept in contact with him. I'd made it clear that if he were to make a political move, I'd be willing to put the power of Malfoy Inc. behind him," Malfoy continued. "Little did I realize it was not the politics he was interested in."

"So, would you say that, had you known what you were getting into, you might not have joined?" Hermione was highly skeptical.

"That is not what I said," Lucius continued, unperturbed. "As anyone knows, my skills lie in the ability to force my will upon people without them realizing I'm doing it. I'm a manipulator. My natural place is in the realm of business and politics. I was good at both. The blatant and obvious massacre of people by the Death Eaters lacked the finesse I appreciated. That does not mean I didn't sympathize with the cause, just that I disagreed with the means."

A chill ran down Hermione's spine as she realized that he'd just discussed the massacre of hundreds of Muggles and Muggle-borns, like herself, without so much as an ounce of regret. In fact, he seemed rather proud of his part in it all. She fought the urge to run from the room and continued. "So, when did you receive The Mark?" she finally asked, taking control of her thoughts and emotions.

"A few weeks after that," Lucius answered. "I was one of the first. His first Death Eaters were loyal to him without it. I later suggested that a mark that could summon his followers would be helpful. After he was vanquished on the night he killed the Potters, I hated that I'd given him the idea."

"Did you regret joining him after that?" Hermione asked hopefully. She desperately wanted to believe this man had something redeeming within him.

"Of course not. I'm a Slytherin. When I joined with the Dark Lord, I did so for two reasons. One, I agreed with his political rhetoric. Two, he was a powerful wizard and I only saw him growing more powerful. I wanted to be on the winning side," Lucius explained. "Any Slytherin and certainly any Malfoy would do the same."

Hermione couldn't help herself. She sucked in a sharp breath when he said that. Was he implying something about Draco? He was both Slytherin and a Malfoy. From what she could tell, he was nothing like his father. But, what if this was all some ploy to get something. What if he was using her hero status to sell his newest product? She shook her head to rid herself of that thought. Draco had been nothing but amazing to her since they decided to marry. They had shared a lot together, and she had no choice but to trust him.

Pulling her out of her tirade of self-doubt, Lucius continued. "Also, because I'm a Slytherin... and a Malfoy, when the Dark Lord seemed to be defeated, that Mark was a pain. I wanted to cut ties with him, if only to work my way up the ladder at the Ministry. Fortunately, another Malfoy trait, concealment, was not lost on me."

She ignored him and moved right on with her questioning. "Can you tell me more about that night at the Potters?" Hermione asked, her voice feeling thick in her throat. Ever since she'd been to Godric's Hollow with Harry, she couldn't help but think how close her best friend had come to death that night.

Lucius proceeded to tell her, in fairly good detail about how Voldemort had become obsessed with Harry Potter and how they plotted the boy's death. In fact, he was nothing but honest and forthcoming when answering all of her questions. She'd expected word games and difficulty, but he was totally cooperative. He was creepy as hell and completely condescending, but the information he was giving her could never be found in a book.

Finally, she asked what she thought were the most important questions she had. "How do you feel now, Lucius? Do you still harbor fanatical blood purity opinions? Do you think you were wrong for joining with Voldemort?"

Lucius took a moment before answering, almost like he was contemplating exactly how to word his answer. "That is a loaded question," he started, a smirk gracing his lips. "There isn't really a good answer. If I tell you that I regret my decisions, I look like a turncoat who is trying to appease the masses in only the most Slytherin of ways. If I tell you that I still feel, as nearly all purebloods do, that Muggles are inferior to wizards and that Muggle-borns are little more than defective Muggles, then the world will always remember me as a pureblood supremacist tied to an 'outdated' set of beliefs."

"I am only asking you to answer the question truthfully, Lucius. I'm not trying to trap you," Hermione replied.

"I'll tell you this. You would be hard pressed to find a pureblood wizard that doesn't find Muggle-borns disgusting, at least a little bit. It has become 'posh' to boast about how united we are as a Wizarding World now that the Dark Lord has fallen for good. However, the same people sitting in the Ministry offices writing Marriage Unity Laws, were sitting at my dinner table five years ago, discussing how we could remove Muggle-borns from Hogwarts before they started mingling with our pureblood sons and daughters." He watched as Hermione's mouth went slack, and allowed his smirk to become obvious.

"Come now, Miss _Granger_, you didn't really think that Harry Potter killing the Dark Lord would remove the prejudice, did you? You couldn't have possibly believed that people have the ability to change that much." Lucius' voice held just a hint of humor in it, and the implications behind it made Hermione's blood run cold.

"Draco changed," she breathed before she could stop the words from escaping her lips. She knew she should not engage him when he was clearly trying to make her insecure, but somewhere inside her she needed him to acknowledge the change she'd seen in Draco.

"Has he?" Lucius asked. _Check._


	9. Countermeasures

**Countermeasures**

"_Has he_?" What the hell had Lucius meant by that? Hermione quickly excused herself from the living room after their interview concluded and retreated to the comfort of her study. Her heart was pounding from a whole new set of emotions. What she had thought was turning into a fairly fruitful interview, albeit one with a passive-aggressive undertone, had turned her brain inside out in a matter of minutes.

Her thoughts were racing with the implications of what Lucius had told her. Of course a logical part of her brain reminded her that Lucius was playing with her and probably hoped to get this exact reaction out of her. However, a larger part of her brain was picking apart every word of the conversation to get to the bottom of what he'd said.

His disdain for her was apparent. His blatant refusal to call her either by her first name or her current last name was an indication of his feelings toward her. Granger, he'd called her, even after she'd corrected him. She supposed she should be glad he didn't call her Mudblood, though she assumed the only reason was because his refined sense of hospitality would tell him that using such a word during an interview would be considered rude.

More worrisome was the point he kept trying to drive home about family and, in particular, the Malfoy family. He'd said his family always appreciated Voldemort's stance on blood purity. Generations of Malfoys had been racists and bigots. That seemed like a long tradition, and she wondered how it could be possible that, on his own, Draco had come to 'see the light' so to speak.

She knew he'd done nothing to earn her lack of trust, but part of her couldn't forget the little boy at Hogwarts that kicked her around and called her a 'Mudblood' every chance he got. That was a learned behavior. How could he unlearn it all by himself?

Lucius had been very clear about what Malfoys do and don't do. He was clear about how their traits differ from others, and how their personal goals reign supreme in order of importance. She knew these things already. Malfoy was synonymous with opportunist and always had been. Couple that with the ambitious nature of a Slytherin and you had a recipe for success (or disaster). Draco was both a Slytherin and a Malfoy. Was it possible that this entire marriage was simply a long con to achieve one of his own goals?

Of course it was possible, but Hermione didn't want to believe that it was true. If that were the case, she'd be legally bound to a man who was simply using her. The thought sent chills down her spine.

She didn't know why she was letting this affect her. Lucius had said it himself; his skills were manipulation and concealment. The problem was, those were two traits his son had picked up along the way. It was what made Draco as successful as he was at such a young age.

She knew she was being manipulated by the master. His goal was to imply that Draco was not so far removed from the 'old ways' of blood purity and ruthless manipulation and deceit. He wanted her to feel inadequate and question their union. Likely, his motive was to make her fear him and possibly Draco, thereby causing her to stay out of the way.

Well, certainly the senior Malfoy underestimated her. Sure, she'd had her doubts, and she let him dig a little too far into her head, but when she thought about it, his line of 'argument' was not all that convincing. The idea that someone possessed certain character traits because they were a 'Malfoy' was just as illogical as the idea that a wizard with pureblood was better than one born to Muggles.

Furthermore, if Draco wanted to simply use her for her status, he didn't have to be as loving with her as he was. He'd been nothing but a gentleman and she'd been so grateful for that. He knew that she didn't have any other prospects. It wasn't as if he _had_ to sweep her off her feet in order to get her to marry him. She was stuck with him. It just happened to be lucky that he was such a wonderful man to be stuck to.

Also true was the fact that, long before the marriage law came to pass, Draco had turned his back on the Malfoy line to pursue what was right during the war. These were not facts one could gloss over.

No, the only real question was, what was she going to do about Lucius. Running to Draco was not in her nature. She was a Gryffindor after all. She didn't need to husband to fix her problems. She had fought in the greatest Wizarding war of all time and come out on top. She could handle Lucius Malfoy and his ill-fated attempt to scare her off. The question was, how?

* * *

By the end of the day, Draco missed Hermione immensely. He'd been busy running meetings and giving the 'okay' on plans for the new product line, but she was never far from his thoughts. He smelled her on him, and reveled in the intoxicating mix of cinnamon and coconut as it filled his nostrils every so often.

He hoped she was doing well at the Manor with his father. He hadn't gotten any hysterical calls, owls, or Patronuses, so he assumed everything was still in order. That was a good sign. If Hermione was going to live in the same house as his father, they were going to have to figure out some way to coexist with one another.

As he was packing up his things, getting ready to head back home, he heard a tapping at his window. Hermione's owl was there, with a small note attached to his leg. Oh no, he thought. _Perhaps, I was wrong._ He took a deep breath before unrolling the parchment.

_**Draco,**_

_**I hope your first day back was not too stressful. Perhaps I'll help you de-stress later tonight. I missed you today.**_

_**I've had the elves prepare a nice dinner for the three of us tonight. Please meet me in the main dining room when you get home from work.**_

_**See you soon,**_

_**Hermione**_

He breathed a sigh of relief. The interview must have gone smoothly because she didn't mention it. Furthermore, she said she'd had dinner prepared for the _three_ of them. That either meant that Lucius and she had made nice, or she was trying to bridge the gap between them. The second option was much more likely.

More surprising was the fact that she planned the dinner for their dining room. She avoided that room, along with the attached drawing room, like the plague on most days. He'd promised her he'd have them both redecorated as soon as possible, knowing how they reminded her of his Aunt Bellatrix and the torture she received there. Maybe she was facing her demons.

He finished packing his briefcase and walked to the Apparation point. With a soft 'pop' he landed in his home office and set down his briefcase before heading to the main dining room to find his wife.

* * *

When Lucius received the note inviting him to dinner, he had to admit he was puzzled. He'd never once been invited to join the Mudblood and his son at any time during their courtship. Given the conversation he'd had with Granger earlier that day, the only conclusion he could come to was that Hermione wanted to question Draco in front of him either to prove Draco's loyalty or to gauge his reaction in front of Lucius.

Likely, she wanted to see if Draco would be loyal to her, or to him. To tell the truth, Lucius was fairly certain Draco would take his wife's side, but Lucius only had to open the door of doubt and the rest would eventually work itself out. Calling this dinner meeting seemed to prove he'd made his point quite clear already.

* * *

Hermione busily moved around the table as she waited for Draco and Lucius to arrive. Too much time alone in this part of the house could send her into tears and she didn't want that. She had to be calm and collected for tonight.

She'd dressed up for the occasion, picking out a beautiful emerald silk cocktail dress that hugged her curves and showed just the right amount of leg and cleavage to be enticing without being over the top. Her hair was pinned loosely in a quince at the nape of her neck. She had a plan tonight, and looking the part of Lady Malfoy was integral to the plan. It wasn't as if she minded. In fact, she sort of enjoyed dressing up and looking good for Draco. She'd never had the desire before, but he brought her femininity out in her, and she liked that. Instead of feeling bad about wanting to be a 'good wife' she felt empowered by it.

Just as she lit the candles on the dining room table, she felt a presence enter the room. Of course it was Lucius. She'd sort of hoped Draco would get there first, but Lucius, likely, wanted to get there first to have a go at some more tedious mind games.

"Lucius," she greeted him with the most genuine looking fake smile she could manage. Before she could offer him a seat, Draco swept into the room. Her once fake smile turned into a real one as she moved to the entryway to greet him.

"Welcome home, love," she said, reaching up to kiss him lightly on the lips. She heard Lucius mumble something behind them and just smiled wider.

Draco could get used to that kind of greeting every day. He held her close and sniffed her hair, letting his hand rest on the small of her back. She looked radiant and edible in the green dress he'd bought for her in Morocco and he wondered if, that night, he'd get to peel it off of her.

"Shall we?" Hermione asked, finally pulling herself from her husband. She led him to the head of the table where she indicated he should sit. Draco looked at his father for a moment. Lucius always sat at the head of the table. Even after his house arrest, Lucius would not give up his seat. On the other hand, his wife had gone to all the trouble of preparing a nice meal and he didn't want to ruin it by refusing to sit where she wanted him to.

Finally, with a sigh he slipped into the seat she offered him. P_hase one, complete._ "Please, sit down, Lucius." Hermione said, her smile brighter than before. She moved into her own seat next to Draco and indicated that Lucius should sit across from her.

If looks could kill, Hermione would have been dead on the spot. Lucius looked absolutely mutinous as he pulled 'his' chair out and moved to sit in it. That Mudblood bitch was toying with him and he knew it. The question was, what should be his next move?

Within seconds of sitting down, Bitsy appeared with dinner. "Thank you, Bitsy," Hermione said, smiling at the small elf. She'd been so grateful for the help she'd received from Bitsy and her staff in preparing dinner. One skill Hermione did not posses was the ability to cook.

"So, how was your day?" Draco asked, cutting into the tense silence.

"Wonderful," Hermione beamed. "I'm already starting the actual writing on the book. Lucius was kind enough to give me an interview today, and I learned so much," she said, looking pointedly at Draco's father. He almost sneered at her, but kept his cool long enough to reply.

"Yes, it was most illuminating," he drawled. "One only hopes the interviewer appreciated the interviewee's depth of knowledge on the subject."

"Yes, I believe she did," Hermione said, "Just as the interviewer hopes the interviewee understands that some bits of the interview will have to end up on the cutting room floor." She took a sip of her wine and turned back to Draco who looked bewildered.

He kept looking back and forth between his wife and his father, deeply wishing he could understand what the hell they were talking about. They seemed cordial enough to each other. Was it possible that, after one interview, they could come to a kind of respect for each other? It didn't seem likely, but then why were they even talking to each other? Why had Hermione invited Lucius for dinner?

"Draco?" Hermione called, her voice a little concerned. He guessed she must have been trying to get his attention for a while.

"Sorry, yes?" he finally asked, vowing to not let his mind wander again.

"I was just going to say that I think I'd like to do a little redecorating around here," she said, moving her arms around to indicate the whole house. "What do you think?"

"I think that's great." Draco said. "It would be nice to see some changes around here. Most of the house looks exactly as it did when I was a boy."

Hermione smiled. _Phase two, complete._ "That is great because I already have so many ideas, and it will help me get my creative juices flowing for the book."

Lucius, on the other hand, didn't seem to think it was a brilliant idea at all. The thought of a filthy Mudblood tampering with a house that had been in his family for generations only made him want to drive the knife he was holding into her pretty little head.

Draco just continued to smile at Hermione with a sort of dazed look on his face. Lucius was really starting to get annoyed with the boy. He was supposed to be a Malfoy. Why was he catering to every whim of a silly little chit, even if she did have a body like that?

"So, tell me about work," Hermione said, taking a bite of her chicken.

"Well, the new product we are testing is a potion for balding wizards," Draco explained. "Everything seems to be going well, the only problem is longevity." Really it was a great potion. It worked perfectly. But after two weeks all the new hair fell out again and they couldn't figure out why.

Hermione had to work to keep the smile off her face when she saw another opening to get at Lucius. "Well, have you considered looking into Muggle inventions that do the same thing?"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, putting his fork down to give her his undivided attention.

"Well," Hermione explained, "Muggle men go bald too. And Muggles have come up with many ways to fix the problem. Some don't work at all, but others do. If you could study the Muggle solutions and combine that with what you know about potions, you'd be at the top of the market."

"That's brilliant, Hermione," Draco gasped. "We could blow the top off the industry. And what with the other Muggle inventions, combining them with our magic would be revolutionary!" He stood up and began to walk out of the room until Hermione cleared her throat, sending him a questioning look. "Sorry, I've got to owl the production manager and get them started. I won't be but a minute," he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek before dashing out of the room. His wife was a genius. Perhaps when she was done with her book, he'd hire her to run his research department. Her knowledge of Muggle things would be invaluable.

She looked at Lucius who was gripping his fork so tightly, his hands were turning white. There, she'd killed two birds with one stone. She pissed Lucius off and helped Draco with his problem. She just hoped Draco really did come back soon because Lucius might contemplate killing her if there was no buffer between them.

"You can't possibly think that Muggles have done anything better than wizards have," he scoffed, spitting out the work 'Muggles' as if it hurt him to say it. She could tell he was trying to sound unaffected but he was failing miserably.

"On the contrary," she replied sweetly. "I'm not arrogant enough to ignore the advancement of others different from myself."

There was a smirk playing on the edge of her lips that Lucius wanted to smack right off. This girl was playing with fire, and he was going to burn her. He just needed some time to rework the plan. If she wanted to play this game she was going to find out what it meant to tangle with a Malfoy.

When Draco came back he found the atmosphere in the dining room more tense than when he'd left. Lucius seemed to be enjoying cutting into his meat far too much and Hermione was ignoring him, sipping her wine as she waited for Draco's return. "This is going to be brilliant," Draco said, sliding back into his seat. "You are amazing." Lucius scoffed, earning him a warning glare from his son. Draco immediately turned his attention back to Hermione.

She smiled, a warm gooey feeling spreading through her insides. Whenever Draco looked at her like that, she immediately reverted to a fifteen-year-old lovesick girl. She decided it was time for phase three of her plan tonight. She leaned over the table and pulled Draco closer to him so she could reach his ear.

She let her breath tickle his skin for just a moment before she whispered, "I want you inside me, right now." She saw Draco visibly swallow and bite his lip before nodding.

"Father, I think Hermione and I will be retiring upstairs. See you tomorrow." With that, he pulled Hermione up by the arm and dragged her out of the room. She giggled behind him and threw a wink back at Lucius.

It didn't take them long to make it to the bedroom as both were motivated to get there. Hermione slammed the door shut and conveniently forgot the Silencing Charm they usually used when their animal instincts kicked in. "Oh Draco," she moaned as he immediately pushed her up against the wall and placed hot kisses down her neck.

"This dress makes you look so hot," he groaned as he reached behind her to pull the zipper down. "But I'd rather see you without it." As he unzipped her dress, it slipped off her shoulders and down her body where she quickly stepped out of it and kicked it somewhere into the room.

"You have too many clothes on," she breathed as she felt the bulge in his suit trousers rub against the skin of her now bare stomach. She tried to pull his tie over his head, but it was still too tight and she was getting frustrated. She felt a dull ache between her legs and all she could think about was him filling her and making it go away.

Finally, he took pity on her and himself, ripping the tie over his head and deftly unbuttoning his crisp white shirt. Hermione was placing hot, open mouth kisses along his jaw and down his neck, making him ache to be buried inside her. He'd seen her insatiable and passionate, but he'd never seen her this uninhibited.

His body tingled as she ripped the undershirt off of him and ran her nails down his chest. "Yes..." he hissed feeling her fingers fumble with his belt for a second before he felt his pants fall to his feet. He kicked them off before pressing Hermione back against the door once more.

"Oh," Hermione gasped in surprise as Draco ripped her bra off.

"Don't worry, I'll by you ten more," he growled, pulling her mouth to his and devouring her. She moaned into his mouth as he held her by the hips, grinding into her with his own.

She was getting light-headed with desire. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He held her up with one hand while he let the other travel over the skin of her body. She looked so wanton and it made his cock pulse. "God you are beautiful, Hermione," he groaned as the bulge in his boxers came into contact with her lace-covered heat. "I can't believe you are mine."

Hermione's face broke into a lusty smile. "I'm all yours, Draco," she moaned, throwing her head back against the door as his hands traveled over the tight peaks of her nipples.

Draco didn't think he could get harder, but hearing her say she was his almost made him come in his boxers. His hand slid down her flat stomach and under her lace knickers. He let his fingers slide over her slick heat. She was so wet her knickers were soaked through. He couldn't take it anymore. He moved to walk them over to the bed, but Hermione stopped him.

"No," she moaned, "I want you to fuck me right here, against the door." Her eyes were almost black with lust and he didn't need to be told twice. It was official. Hermione Malfoy was perfect.

He let her help him remove his boxers with her feet as he ripped her knickers off. "Please, Draco," she breathed.

"Hermione, you are going to be the death of me," he groaned, taking himself in hand. He teased her wet opening for a second before plunging into her hard and fast.

"Yes!" Hermione moaned, clutching his shoulders tightly. He pounded her over and over, into the door. She felt the wood bruising her back and she loved it. She'd never considered that she might enjoy being manhandled like this, but in the moment, she couldn't imagine how she ever lived without this feeling. It had started out as a way to unnerve Lucius, but she found herself so aroused she thought she'd come at any moment.

"Merlin, Hermione you are so wet," Draco panted, picking up speed as he held her hips in a vice-like grip.

"Feels so good, Draco. Ahhh!" She nearly screamed. The goal was to be loud, but she found she didn't need to act. Draco's cock was making her body feel things it had never felt before and she felt herself reaching climax in minutes. "I'm going to come..." she choked, seconds before her dripping pussy clamped down on Draco's cock.

He continued to plow into her, slowing only so she could ride out her orgasm. She went slack in his arms afterward and he took the opportunity to move them over to the bed. He slowly moved in and out of her, speeding up only when she seemed to come around from her orgasm.

Finally, she was meeting him, thrust for thrust again. "Come on baby," Hermione panted, feeling her twat begin to spasm again. "Come inside me."

Draco groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, fucking her harder. She'd never talked dirty to him before and it was something he hoped she'd do in the future. He was so close...so close...

"Fuck, Hermione!" he bellowed, feeling her clench around him just after he shot his seed deep inside her. Her moans spurred him on as he pumped in and out of her a few more times before collapsing next to her.

"That was amazing," Hermione smiled, curling up next to him.

"You are amazing." Draco replied. He was falling so hard for the girl in his arms. It wasn't just the sex, which was clearly amazing. Hermione was everything he didn't know he'd wanted.

* * *

Lucius growled as he moved away from the staircase. Those idiots couldn't even remember a simple silencing spell. He was caught between intense arousal and complete enragement at his son's behavior.

From the sounds of it, it seemed like, at any moment Draco would confess his undying love to the little bitch. Even if it did sound like the girl was a hellcat in the sack, there was no need to get emotionally involved with her. She was nothing more than a clever Mudblood. His son had become an idiot. Whatever his next move was going to be, he had to remember that. Better sooner than later, before the ignorant boy got in too deep


	10. Throwing a Potter in the Mix

**Throwing a Potter in the Mix**

Hermione smiled to herself when she felt Harry's presence against the wards on the outside of the manor. After discussing it with Draco over the next few days, she made plans to redecorate the house. She also informed him that Harry would be helping her.

She'd corresponded with Harry about the situation with Lucius, and he'd actually been the one to suggest that he spend time in Malfoy Manor. There was nothing that would piss Lucius off more than The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Defeat-His-Master hanging around the house during the day. So, he took two weeks off work and agreed to help Hermione with the redecoration project.

With a swish of her wand, she let Harry past the wards and moved down to the entryway to greet him. She could hear Lucius drinking his tea in the dining room and chuckled. _Good_, she thought, _he'll be in hearing distance._

When Harry rang the doorbell, Hermione opened the door and pulled him inside with a bear hug. "I'm glad you're here!" she cried. "Let me give you a tour of the place first. That way we can decide what to do first."

She was practically yelling at him, so he figured Lucius must be nearby. Harry just grinned and nodded. "Where to first, Milady?"

"Why don't we start in the dining room?" Hermione beamed.

* * *

Lucius couldn't even enjoy the success of the new line from Malfoy Inc. on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_. That annoying little bitch had taken up residence in his head, and he had no idea how he'd managed to let the game get so out of control.

For the last week she'd been walking around the Mansion like she owned the place. Her name might have been on the deed, but Malfoy Manor would never belong to a disgusting little girl with dirty blood. "Bitsy!" he bellowed, noticing his tea had gone cold.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," Bitsy said, shaking a little as she popped into the room. Her master's father had been terrible to everyone for the last few days. She hoped she'd be able to leave the room without a beating.

"Tea is cold," he said simply, pointing to his almost empty cup. Bitsy nodded and attended to his tea, moving out of the room as quickly as possible.

Lucius tried to go back to his reading, but his mind was elsewhere. He needed to do something to put the Mudblood in her place. He couldn't attack her directly, because Draco would certainly take her side against him._ Ignorant boy._ No, he'd have to employ more subtlety and wait for Hermione to submit to his will. He'd broken tougher people than her before.

When he heard the doorbell ring, he was more than annoyed. He didn't like guests in his home now that he couldn't use magic. It was embarrassing and embarrassment was unbecoming of a Malfoy.

When Hermione entered the dining room, Lucius was in the middle of a vivid daydream about ripping her apart, piece by piece. "Oh, Lucius, I didn't realize you were still in here," Hermione said, her voice dripping with false sincerity.

He looked up to find her standing next to none other than Harry-buggering-Potter. "Harry and I are just assessing the damage on the house. You know," Hermione said, looking at him intently, "for the redecoration." She talked to him like he was an ignorant child, and he didn't appreciate it. He wondered if she'd look so smug if he had her backed up against a wall, towering over her.

"I didn't realize 'The Scarred One' was helping," Lucius said, gritting his teeth together.

Harry rolled his eyes and scoffed. At least, now, he knew where Draco had gotten all those nicknames when they were at Hogwarts. "I believe you mean Harry," Hermione said, like she was talking to a small child. "I'd appreciate it if you treated my guests with respect."

Just as Lucius was about to jump out of his seat and wrap his hands around her annoyingly dainty neck, she swept out of the room, Harry's hand in hers. _Oh, that bitch was going to pay._

Enough. Lucius pulled himself out of his chair and stalked into his den. He pulled out some parchment and a quill and penned a note to his son. He was not a man that usually 'tattled' on anyone, but Hermione had stepped over the line and he knew that Draco would see that. His son might have had a weak spot for the Mudblood, but he could not have possibly authorized _Potter_ to be walking around the Manor as he pleased.

Subtlety would have to wait because, at the moment, Lucius could think about nothing but getting that bitch out of his house, or at least out of his son's good graces.

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap_. Draco groaned and pulled himself out of his work to open the window. He had too much work to do. Hermione made it a point not to disturb him at work until the end of the day, and only to tell him of dinner plans. When he noticed it was his father's owl outside his window, his frown deepened. Lucius never owled him at work.

He pulled the parchment from the bird's leg and moved back to his seat before opening it.

_**Draco,**_

_**I assume you are unaware that your wife has invited Potter into our home. They are walking around as if they own the place, and I don't have to tell you that this is unacceptable. If you cannot keep some semblance of order in this home, all you have to do is give me permission to do it for you.**_

_**Think of what your mother would say if she knew that a half-blood and a Mudblood were traipsing around in her private rooms. You have to deal with this situation. I will not tolerate it.**_

_**I understand you have work to do, so I assume it will not take you long to fix this problem. A word of advice; you have to exert your authority over your wife now, or she will run amok later. I wouldn't be surprised if she and that Potter boy are laughing behind your back right now. You know she spent a lot of time with him alone during the war. Do you really believe it's wise to allow them to spend so much time alone now? What would people think?**_

_**Your Father.**_

_Fucking hell._ Draco had totally forgotten that Potter was coming over that day. He knew that Lucius wasn't going to like it, but he liked the idea of Hermione working on the house, and he was glad she wouldn't have to do it alone. Sure, Potter made him a little uncomfortable, but he _did_ trust Hermione.

He'd kind of hoped that they would go unnoticed by his father. Looking back, that was foolish. Lucius noticed almost everything that happened around the house. On the other hand, what business was it of Lucius'? His father was lucky Draco allowed him to live there. As much as he might not like it, Malfoy Manor belonged to Draco and Hermione. He couldn't very well tell his own wife that she couldn't have her friends over.

On the other hand, inviting Potter to help her _did_ seem like a pointed attempt to get under his father's skin. Though, that probably was unfair. Hermione didn't have a lot of friends, and he knew she'd missed spending time with Potter over the last few weeks. The whole thing was probably innocent. And even if it wasn't, he couldn't blame her for trying to exert some of her authority.

What Draco _did_ know, was that he was not going to let his father's heavy handed attempt to make him jealous work. Yes, he had insecurities about Hermione's relationship with Harry Potter. However, she'd given herself to him. It was Draco she woke up next to every morning, and she'd shown him a kind of love and tenderness he'd never felt before. That was not an act. Hermione was falling for him just as he was falling for her. That much he knew.

He considered whether he should go home or not. Leaving work would not only disrupt the day, but it would also give Lucius reason to believe that Draco would be easy to manipulate. Also, he didn't want Hermione to think he was checking up on her. Instead, he took out two separate sheets of parchment and penned two notes home. One to Lucius and one to Hermione.

* * *

"Okay," Harry said, rolling up his sleeves. "What do you want to do in here?"

"Nothing," Hermione said, looking at her late mother-in-law's bedroom. "I want to keep Narcissa's rooms exactly as they are, but I do want to have them cleaned." She'd told Draco she wanted to redecorate the whole house, but she had never planned to change his mother's rooms. He might have let her, but she couldn't do that to him.

"Okay, cleaning should be a snap. This place looks spotless compared to Grimmauld Place," he chuckled. Draco's owl swooped down on Hermione's shoulder just as he was taking out his want to begin.

"You get started, I'm just going to read this first," Hermione said, unrolling Draco's note.

_**Hermione,**_

_**You should know my father has seen Harry and he's not happy. I wouldn't worry. I've told him that Potter is more than welcome and to leave the two of you alone. He will probably be surly, but that's not unusual.**_

_**I miss you. Have fun working on the house, and I'll see you at 6:00.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Draco.**_

Hermione smiled to herself. She knew her relationship with Harry was a sore spot with Draco, and still he wished them a good day and took her side in the battle with Lucius. He really was a great man. How could she help feeling about him the way she did?

"Okay, Mister Potter," she said, "Let's get started!"

* * *

_**Father,**_

_**I already knew Potter would be at the Manor today. Hermione and I agreed to it a week ago. The war is over. It's time to let it go. All your allegiance to the Dark Lord has gotten you is house arrest and a lifetime ban from magic.**_

_**Let it go, Father. Hermione is going to be a part of my life forever. You can either get used to it, or you can fight a futile battle against it. Please don't send any more owls to work unless there is a real emergency.**_

_**Draco.**_

Lucius crumpled up the parchment in his hand and felt the urge to punch something. However, as it was completely undignified, he settled for throwing the parchment in the wastebasket.

It wasn't as if he'd expected Draco to burst into the house, wand blazing, demanding Potter's head on a silver platter. But how could he have no reaction at all? Was Draco so far removed from that boy he'd groomed to be a brilliant leader of the cause?

If he couldn't get Draco to act like a Malfoy, he was just going to have to make it look, to Hermione, like he was. How could he get Hermione to leave Draco? His son was stubborn and love-sick, but could he get Hermione to doubt Draco to such a point she'd regret the marriage completely?

He mulled it over in his mind. _What to do, what to do?_ It had to be something pretty big. Again, subtlety was not going to work in this case. What he did would have to make an impact. Hermione seemed up to his tit-for-tat game, but could she handle the game if he upped those stakes? He doubted it, very seriously.

* * *

Things were eerie around the house for the next few weeks. Lucius didn't so much as make a peep around the manor. Everyday Harry showed up and helped Hermione with the redecorating project and he never seemed to be around when they were working. She didn't know where he was going and she didn't care, but not having him there was making her wonder if he had something up his sleeve.

It had been made clear that Lucius was not going down without a fight, and for him to just disappear didn't make her feel good. It made her feel like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. When she expressed these feelings to Draco he just told her to count her blessings. She guessed that was all she could do. That, and keep her eyes peeled.

On the last day of decorating, she asked Draco to come home early. When he got home, Hermione greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and led him into the dining room. "Wow," he breathed. The entire room looked different. He'd purposefully stayed out of the rest of the house while she was decorating because she wanted it to be a surprise.

He couldn't believe that she'd gotten just the dining room done in two weeks, let alone the rest of the house. Each room was more beautiful than the next. The whole house felt like it had a new life breathed into it. "This is great," Draco said, pulling her into his side and kissing her on the top of the head.

"There is one more room I want to show you," she said, moving into the wing of the house where his mother used to reside. He felt nervous about seeing what she'd done to his mother's room. He wanted to move on with Hermione, but he did still miss his mother.

When she opened the door, Draco was surprised to find it just as he remembered it. "Hermione..." he began.

"Wait, there is something I made," She said, pulling him into the room and next to the bed. On the dresser, he saw a scrapbook of sorts that hadn't been there before. "I made this after I finished cleaning this room. I wanted to learn more about your mother because I never really got to meet her in the proper context. So I did some research and..." she let her voice trail off as Draco opened the scrapbook and looked inside.

Inside were pictures, letters, and clippings from old newspapers. She'd put together a scrapbook of his mother's accomplishments along with pictures of her and letters she'd written over the years. His eyes filled with tears as he flipped through the pages. No one had ever done something so amazing for him before. "Hermione..." he breathed.

"I just thought it would be something nice for you to have. And, one day, when we have kids, they can know about their grandmother." She didn't know how to react to Draco. She'd seen him cry, just once, and it still made her a little uncomfortable. She knew they were tears of happiness, so she held him to her and kissed his temple.

"This is perfect." he said, finally looking up at her. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Hermione smiled. To tell the truth, she did it as much for herself too. Learning about another Malfoy that wasn't evil made her happy.

* * *

Even after the redecorating was finished and Harry had returned to work, Lucius still barely made his presence known. He and Hermione met in passing a few times but he didn't even send her a look, let alone a snide remark.

It was utterly confusing. Draco still maintained that she should count it as a blessing and not question it. In time she began to get used to it and figured perhaps Draco was right. Maybe, whatever he'd said to Lucius in his letter a few weeks before had struck a chord.

Hermione whistled to herself as she made her way back to her study to work on the book, after a quick breakfast in the kitchen with the elves. She and Draco had been married for two months and her happiness was abundant. She should have known not to let her guard down, but Draco had a way of making her feel so utterly blissful that she couldn't help herself.

When she entered her study, she noticed a Pensieve sitting next to her desk. On top of the desk was a vial, obviously with a memory in it and a note.

She picked up the note, wondering who had entered her study and what reason they would have for doing so.

**_Granger,_**

**_I thought this memory might be of some interest to you. Perhaps afterward you will understand what I've known all along._**

**_LM_**


	11. Trust Broken

**Trust Broken**

Hermione's hands started to shake as she lifted the memory vial from her desk. The logical part of her brain said, "J_ust smash the thing against the wall._" Whatever was in there was not going to be good.

However, the curious part of her brain was going crazy. Whatever was in this vial had something to do with her, or Draco. Lucius wouldn't be sending her a memory just for the hell of it.

"Damn!" she huffed, pacing the floor in front of the Pensieve. She knew she should owl Draco, but she didn't want to disturb him. Besides, if this ended up being another move in the chess game she and Lucius were playing, she was sure she could counter it.

Finally, after a few moments thought, she uncorked the vial and poured the memory into the Pensieve. She locked the door, just in case he was waiting for her to jump into the memory before attacking her or something, and dove in.

Hermione found herself in the main dining room, obviously before she'd redecorated it. Lucius was sitting at the head of the table, clearly waiting for something.

_"Father," Draco greeted cordially, as he slipped into a chair next to his father._

_"Read this," Lucius said, thrusting the newspaper into Draco's hands._

She watched as Draco scanned the paper. She peeked over his shoulder and realized what he was reading. It was the article about the passage of the Marriage Law.

_"Six months?" Draco finally said, when he could use his mouth again. "But I don't even know any Muggle born girls!"_

She chuckled. It was almost the exact same reaction she'd had when she read the news paper that day. Her eyes were drawn back to Lucius who seemed to be grinning wildly. It made a chill run down her spine. That crazy look could frighten anyone.

_"That's not true, Draco. I can think of one Mudblood you know," Lucius finally drawled._

Hermione sucked in a breath when she heard him say the word 'Mudblood.' She hadn't heard him use the word since she'd been with Draco, and some part of her believed that was because of Draco. However, when Draco didn't say a word to chastise his father's choice of words, Hermione was more than puzzled.

_"Who?" Draco asked_, seeming confused.

_"No,"_ Draco finally said as if he worked something out in his mind. _"You can't mean Granger?"_

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes as she heard the outrage behind Draco's words. Sure, they hadn't been best friends, but she thought he'd at least considered marrying her a somewhat attractive prospect.

_"She's attractive enough for a mudblood. And she would do wonders for our reputation. Imagine, Draco, what a union with the most famous female war hero in the world would do for your reputation," Lucius' slick voice replied._

She thought she was going to be sick. This whole marriage was Lucius' idea? She felt the bile rising up in her throat as the implications of this new information hit her. Draco had been manipulated by Lucius to ask her to marry him. Why, she didn't know. And, furthermore, her husband seemed to have no problem with Lucius' calling her a "Mudblood."

It also seemed that the marriage was designed purely for rebuilding the Malfoy reputation. She knew she'd helped to give the Malfoy name respectability again,ut she'd assumed that was just a happy byproduct. It turned out that was the role Lucius had designed for her all along.

_"What about Weasley?" Draco asked. "I assume she will have decided to marry one of them. They are Purebloods."_

_Lucius' smile grew. "They are all married. She doesn't have anyone."_

_"Give me a quill," he sighed, putting the paper down._

Hermione was pulled out of the memory and emerged from the Pensieve panting. Tears were freely flowing down her cheeks and she ran to the bathroom as fast as she could, just making it to the toilet in time to heave all the contents of her stomach into it.

She quickly washed her mouth out and moved into the bedroom she shared with Draco. Her brain was racing. Could the whole thing have been a lie? She'd felt so connected to Draco. She'd let go of her inhibitions and let herself be real in front of him, and the whole time he'd been scheming with his father. Furthermore, he'd only asked her to marry him because his fucking father told him to!

Hermione really thought she was falling hard for Draco. She was so close to telling him that she loved him, but now she realized how stupid she'd been. She had been taken in by a Malfoy. None of her rationalizations could explain what she'd seen. That memory was real. That conversation had really happened, and she was the one left looking like a fool. There was only one thing to do…confront Draco.

With fresh determination, Hermione marched out of her office and down to the living room where the floo was located. Thrusting her floo powder into the fireplace, she called out 'Malfoy Industries' and let herself be carried to her husband's place of work. She didn't like interrupting him, but she needed answers. "Hello Mrs. Malfoy," several people greeted her on her way toward her husband's office. She ignored them, her focus on getting the truth.

When she approached Draco's office door, she smiled tightly at his secretary. "I'm here to see my husband," she said, trying to ignore the fact that the girl in front of her looked like she'd had several magical enhancements done to her body.

"He's in a private meeting," the secretary said. "I'll let him know you are here."

"I'm his _wife_," Hermione said, her patience at an end.

The secretary's fake smile faltered for a moment before she said, "Like I said, he's in an important meeting."

Hermione sighed in frustration before throwing her hands up in the air, and pushing past the secretary. If she hadn't been treated with such disrespect, she would have probably patiently waited, but that little tart was the last straw on the already exhausted camel's back.

She quickly opened Draco's door and felt her body turn cold when she saw the display in front of her. Pansy Parkinson had her husband pushed up against his desk, her body plastered to his. "Wow," Hermione breathed, her eyes wide as she processed what she was seeing.

She was gone before Draco could even figure out what happened. Not that she cared. That no-good lying bastard could have the pug-nosed bitch for all she cared.

She stomped past the smug secretary and back to the floo room. Once she was back at Malfoy Manor, she wasted little time in getting back to the room she'd shared with Draco, ready to leave behind this house of lies. Lucius was only the tip of the iceberg, it seemed.

She stamped down the sick feeling of betrayal that washed over her. She didn't know what was worse. Knowing he still thought of her as a "Mudblood" or seeing him with Pansy's body pressed against him. Probably the latter, but not by much.

There was no way she was going to continue to be their tool for power. If she was little more than a 'Mudblood' that was just fine. She pulled out her trunk from Hogwarts that she had hidden in her closet. Filling it to the brim with all the things she absolutely had to have - and making sure to leave anything Draco had bought her behind - she shut the trunk and shrunk it to fit in her handbag.

She wiped a few stray tears from her eyes and picked up a quill and paper from the bedside table. She quickly jotted out a note for Draco - even though she didn't think he deserved it - pulled off her wedding ring, placed it on top, and walked out of the room.

She went down to the living room to Floo to the only place she could think of to go.

Lucius smiled to himself when he heard her Floo away. Ding Dong, the witch is gone. He'd have done that a long time ago, had he known it would work that fast. _Check Mate._

* * *

Draco came home soon after the incident with Pansy. He hadn't seen his school friend in over a year, and was shocked when she took it upon herself to try to seduce him. Not only was it annoying because he had no interest in her -or any woman but his wife - but because the timing seemed very strange. What were the odds that Pansy would show up to try to get him to cheat on his wife the one time his wife actually came to talk to him at work.

He had to get Pansy out of there and deal with his secretary, who, it seemed had been only too pleased that Hermione had 'caught' him. But as soon as he tied up loose ends at Malfoy Inc, he came home to explain to Hermione what she saw. It looked bad, but he was sure he could make her understand. He'd give her his memories if he had to.

He called her name when he Apparated into the house. Nothing. He checked their rooms and her study. Nothing. He started to get worried. Finally he called for Bitsy. He knew the elf knew everything that happened in the house.

"Yes, Master," Bitsy bowed when she 'popped' into the room.

"Where is Lady Malfoy?" Draco asked.

"Mistress left a while ago," Bitsy answered.

"Where did she go?" Draco asked beginning to panic. Hermione never went anywhere without at least telling him where she was going. It wasn't like she needed permission, but he liked to know she was safe. Given what happened at work today, he didn't like the fact that she was out on her own.

"Bitsy doesn't know, sir," she answered.

"Thank you, Bitsy." Draco said, trying to force a smile for his servant. He went back into their bedroom and tried to look for clues as to where she'd gone. He tried the closet. Maybe what she was wearing would give him an idea. When he noticed that all of her clothes were gone except the dresses he'd bought her since they'd started dating.

Looking around the rest of the room he noticed a number of her things were gone. That's when he spotted it. On his bedside table, there was her wedding ring and a short note. His heart leaped in his chest. It was like some kind of nightmare.

_Malfoy,_

_You don't have to deal with the desperate Mudblood any longer. I hope you and Pansy are very happy together. I won't go to the press, just leave me alone._

_Granger._

His heart was hammering in his chest. This had to be about more than what happened in his office. Hermione wasn't the kind of person to leave without a fight or explanation.

He had a sick feeling his father had something to do with all of this. He threw down the bit of parchment before marching off, in search of Lucius.

* * *

When Harry walked into the house, he knew that something was wrong. He quietly reached for his wand as he turned the corner from the front hall. He heard a muffled, feminine sound as he entered the front sitting room. Still holding his wand in front of him he aimed it and jumped in front of the couch, ready to scare whoever had broken in.

"AH!" Hermione screamed as Harry jumped out in front of her, wand raised.

He almost had a heart attack, but when he saw his best friend looking back at him, her face red and wet from what looked like hours of crying, he collected himself and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms.

"Hermione, what the name of Merlin's Beard happened?" His immediate thought was Draco, then he remembered how sweet Draco had been to her, and his next thought was Lucius. He must have made his move.

"I'm so stupid," she wailed.

"No, you are not. Now, tell me what happened, beginning to end," Harry said, wiping her face with his shirt sleeve.

"I'm nothing but a 'Mudblood' to him. He didn't want to marry me. Lucius put him up to it. I can't even get a husband without some psycho forcing me on him." She moaned, a fresh crop of tears falling down her face as she burrowed her head into Harry's strong chest. "And...and then _Pansy_!"

Harry was still confused. Her explanation seemed to have left out large chunks of the story. "Wait, Hermione," he said, pulling her face up to look at him. "What exactly happened?"

Hermione worked hard to get herself under control before sitting up and wiping her face. She took a deep breath and told Harry everything. She told him every detail of the memory she'd seen and, after a few sobs, her trip to Draco's office.

"Are you absolutely sure it's a real memory?" Harry asked. "I wouldn't put it past Lucius to create a fake one."

"It's real, Harry." Hermione sniffled. "When we were hunting down horcruxes, I spent the summer before researching how to tell the difference between real memories and ones that have been tampered with. This was 100% real. Besides, what difference does it make? He's cheating on me!"

"Oh, Hermione," Harry sighed, pulling her closer to him. He couldn't imagine how it must have felt to see that memory, but finding her husband with Pansy Parkinson was worse. None of it made any sense. Draco had been nothing but the perfect husband. Why would he do that if he just wanted to use her celebrity status? Why would he cheat on Hermione when he seemed completely head-over-heels for her?

"Can I stay here?" Hermione finally asked. "I'll try to find something more permanent later."

"Hermione, you know you can stay here as long as you want." He smiled at her. "But what about the law?"

"We are married. We can't get a divorce. Fine. But I don't have to live with the bastard," Hermione huffed.

"But what about the other part of the Law, Hermione. You have to produce a child within two years," Harry pointed out. He immediately regretted it because her eyes filled with tears again and she began to sob into his chest. "Hermione, don't cry. We will figure something out. I promise."

"What is so wrong with me?" Hermione asked. "Why doesn't he love me?" It sounded utterly pathetic, even to her own ears. She was a bloody war hero for Merlin's sake. But she couldn't help the way she felt. She'd opened herself up to Draco totally, and had been ripped apart emotionally in the process.

Harry felt his heart break for his best friend as he held her closer to him. "There is nothing wrong with you. If Draco doesn't appreciate what he has, it's his problem."

After a few more minutes of crying, he finally got her to agree to eat and then helped her up to her old room. It was just how she left it. After he tucked her into bed he went back downstairs, and cracked open a bottle of firewhiskey. Just as he was about to open a book to read, there was a ringing at his Floo. "I'm coming!" he called. Harry had charmed his Floo connection to ring like a muggle phone for fun, and now regretted it as he put his book down and made his way to the fireplace.

Draco's head was sticking out of the flames, a panicked look on his face. Harry sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Hermione is here, isn't she?" Draco asked. His voice was cracked and strained, and if Harry didn't know better he'd think the man had been crying.

"I just got her in bed, Malfoy. You've done enough damage. Leave it alone." Harry advised.

"I'll bet you did, Potter," Draco growled. "Let me in to see my wife." His voice was deadly, but it held no threat, as both of them knew very well that Draco couldn't enter unless Harry allowed him to.

Harry sneered at him. "This is my house and I'm not going to let you in to hurt her again. I just got her calm enough to sleep."

"I can do this all day, every day, Potter, and you know it," Draco almost shouted. "I will come back every day until she talks to me and you know I will."

_When Draco realized that Hermione'd left he took rest of the week off from work. It was a perk of being the boss. Once he'd found his father, lounging in his own sitting room, he demanded to know what happened that made Hermione come to his office_

_"What did you do?" Draco shouted. He rarely raised his voice where Lucius was involved, but he just knew his father had done something that made Hermione flee._

_"What are you shouting about?" Lucius asked, his voice bored._

_"Hermione just left me. I know you did something, just spit it out," Draco grunted impatiently. He needed answers so that he could find her and fix it._

_"Oh, she left?" Lucius said, a twinkle in his eye, "I had no idea."_

_"Stop with the games, Father! Tell me what you did. Did you send Pansy to me today?" Draco was shouting again._

_"I only offered her the truth. I had no idea she'd run off. But that's like a Mudblood, isn't it. Never able to finish what they start." His smirk was as pronounced as it could have been and Draco wanted nothing more than to punch his father in the face. "Pansy stopped by? How nice. She really is a wonderful girl." He looked positively gleeful._

_"Father, I swear to you, if you have ruined this marriage, we will be done." His voice was calm and serious, and anyone could tell he was not bluffing. Lucius' expression of victory remained unaffected._

_It didn't take Draco long to figure out that there was only one place Hermione would go. He tried to Floo in directly, but he'd been blocked, so he decided on a Floo call. He had to talk to Hermione as soon as possible. If his father was involved, there was no telling what he'd told her._

"Draco, go to bed. You are not getting in here tonight. Hermione is not going to talk to you until she's ready," Harry sighed.

"I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, Potter," Draco answered, his voice resigned. "And I will talk to Hermione. She's my wife, remember?" Draco hated the idea of Hermione sleeping under Harry's roof again, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was late, and he had to figure out how he was going to get her to talk to him.

* * *

Hermione woke up early the next morning. Her eyes hurt from crying and her face felt puffy all over. She grabbed the box of Kleenex next to her bed and pulled her robe on over her nightshirt before heading downstairs. Harry was probably still asleep. It was only 6:00am.

Her body felt stiff, the way it always did on the rare occasion she'd spent the night crying. As she made her way downstairs, she was surprised to find that Harry wasn't in bed, but sitting in the sitting room, just staring off into space. "Harry, what are you doing awake?" she asked, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, startled out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I got used to being alone around here," he chuckled. "I had trouble sleeping last night."

Hermione laughed. "I'm the one whose marriage is falling apart, and you are lying awake at night."

Harry grimaced. "I've got to tell you something," he said, causing her to pause, frown, then sit next to him on the couch.

"What is it, Harry?"

"Draco Floo called last night," Harry said, turning to look at her. "He looked really upset and he said, he wasn't going to stop trying until he could talk to you."

Hermione sighed. Part of her was intrigued that he cared enough to try, but then she remembered the hurtful memory and the black-haired skank he'd cheated on her with and that part of her got squashed by hurt and rage. "Well," she said, "he might have to wait a while."

"I figured you'd say that," Harry smiled. "Can I say something without you biting my head off?"

"When have I ever bitten your head off, Harry?" Hermione laughed. When she saw the serious look on Harry's face she sobered up and said, "I promise, I won't bite your head off."

"I think you should talk to him," Harry told her. He continued before she could respond. "I'm not saying you should run back to him or trust him. All I'm saying is that, you will never get the whole story unless you get it straight from the horse's mouth."

"I don't need any more of the story. I saw it all," Hermione huffed.

"Hermione, you know as well as I do that a single memory is never the whole story. Draco may be a gigantic ass that is using you for your reputation, but you'll never know for sure unless you talk to him," Harry reasoned."And what about dry humping Pansy? Is that just a misunderstanding?" she countered, hands on her hips.

"Maybe?" Harry said hopefully. "Look, it sounds bad. I'll give you that. Maybe he's all the awful things you are working up in your head. But...this is an awful lot of trouble to go to just to hurt you. Listening to him won't hurt, will it?" he reasoned. She knew he was right. Her rational mind demanded she find out exactly what happened and why. None of it made any sense. But the gnawing feeling of jealousy was still being unreasonable.

"How can I even know if he's telling the truth. If he's lying about the whole thing, what's to stop him now?"

"I don't know, Hermione," Harry answered. "But there are ways to make sure you're being told the truth." He stood up and looked down at her. "I've got to get ready for work, but think about what I said."

Hermione just nodded. Harry had a point. Not that she believed anything Draco said anymore, but she needed some kind of closure. Besides, he was still her husband, and nothing would ever change that Wizarding contract. They were going to have to work out how they would remain married, and have children…without seeing each other, as she had no intentions of living with Draco Malfoy ever again.

She pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and jotted down a note for Draco before climbing upstairs to make herself presentable. She didn't want him to see her looking like she had been crying all night over him.

* * *

Draco hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night. After he finished talking to Harry, he paced the floor for a few hours, trying to come up with a way to get Hermione to talk to him. Then he moved into her study. He honestly missed her. They'd only lived together for two months, but he'd gotten so used to lying down next to her every night.

For a few more hours he plotted the death of his father, though he knew he'd never have to guts to carry it out. Still, a man could dream. He finally slumped down in Hermione's desk chair when his legs began to hurt from all the pacing. It was almost 8:00am already. It was nearly time to try to get her to talk to him again.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Hermione's owl land on the desk in front of him. He quickly pulled the letter off the bird's leg and opened it.

_**Malfoy,**_

_**In order to get you to leave Harry alone, I will meet with you at Grimmauld Place at 9:00 this morning. The Floo will be open.**_

_**Granger.**_

She still sounded pissed, but she was willing to listen to him. Whatever Harry had said to her must have worked, though the green-eyed monster of jealousy wouldn't quite let him feel grateful to the wizard.

What hurt the most was that she'd reverted back to calling him 'Malfoy' and herself 'Granger.' It was as if the last six months had never even happened.

He sighed, vowing he'd do whatever he had do to get her back. Draco then dashed to the bedroom to shower and get ready.

* * *

Hermione checked her watch for the fiftieth time, waiting for Draco to Floo in. The fifty-first time she felt the Floo activate. Butterflies filled her stomach as she saw him slide into the room as gracefully as she'd ever seen anyone Floo.

"Hermione," he choked, when he saw her standing in front of him. "Please..."

Hermione cut him off with a wave of her arms. "Sit," she said, indicating the chair across from her. "What did you want to talk about last night?" She kept her voice hard and detached, even if her heart was hammering in her chest.

"I wanted to know why you left," Draco answered, his voice desperate. She'd never heard him sound that way before.

"As if you don't know," she scoffed.

"I don't!" Draco cried. "I know what you saw in my office, but I'm telling you, It wasn't what you think!"

"I'm sure," Hermione rolled her eyes. Denying it only made her more angry.

"It wasn't! I haven't seen Pansy in over a year. I don't know why she came to me. I don't know why she proceeded to throw herself at me." Draco was begging her to listen to him, but it all sounded like such a likely story.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Hermione asked. "Of course you are going to tell me that it was all a coincidence. You want your Mudblood wife and your whore on the side." She seethed.

"No!" Draco cried, coming toward her, but she backed away. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and took a deep breath before trying again. "I swear to you on anything you want that I never asked her to come and I certainly didn't ask her to throw herself at me." When Hermione said nothing - just stared at him angrily - he decided to go on. "Why did you come to my office anyway?"

"What? Now I'm not allowed at your precious company?" She snapped.

"Of course not," Draco said, now becoming annoyed. "But you never come there. What are the odds that you'd show up at my office at the same time Pansy happens to rear her ugly head after so long?"

"That's exactly my point." Hermione replied.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Draco pressed.

"Ask your father," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. Now she knew she was acting like a child, but she couldn't help it. She was hurt and annoyed.

"I did!" Draco cried, "He said he told you the 'truth,' whatever the hell that means. Can you please tell me what is going on?" Draco was ready to rip out his hair. He couldn't fix the problem if no one told him what it was.

Hermione sneered at him. "I'll tell you what happened. Lucius showed me a very interesting memory. The one where he convinced you to marry me because I could help with the Malfoy resuscitation project." Her voice was hard and cold as she spat her words out.

The air was sucked out of Draco's lungs, "Hermione, it's not what you think," he began, but she cut him off again.

"Oh, I'm so surprised to hear that. Seems to be a rather popular line with you today." The wind seemed to leave her sails as she slouched against the counter, almost defeated. "I knew you didn't love me when you asked me to marry you, but I never imagined this whole thing was Lucius' idea! He called me a Mudblood and you said nothing. He talked about me like I was an object to be used and you agreed with him. I gave you everything, and I was nothing more than a pawn. I was so wrong about you." She was crying now. As much as she hated to let him know how hurt she was, she couldn't help it.

Draco reached out for her, but she backed away. "Don't touch me!" she shouted.

Draco sat back down and ran his hands worriedly through his hair. "Hermione, please listen to me. It wasn't like that. You don't understand. My father did mention it, but I married you only because I wanted to."

"Right, as if I believe that," Hermione scoffed.

"What do I have to do to prove it to you? I'll do anything! I need you, Hermione. My life really doesn't mean anything without you there," he admitted, looking into her eyes. She saw tears there, but he was working hard to not let them fall.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to believe what he said, because she felt the same way, but how could she trust him after what she'd seen? "I want you to take Veritaserum," she said.

"I'll do anything," Draco said, hope laced in his voice. Veritaserum would prove his innocence.

"Wait here," Hermione ordered, moving out of the room to the potions cabinet in the kitchen. She came back with two cups of tea and handed Draco one.

"Can I ask you something before?" Draco asked. Hermione just nodded, "If I pass your test, will you come home?"

Hermione contemplated her answer. "If you prove to me that I can trust you; that you didn't let your father manipulate you into marrying me and you are not a lying, cheating bastard, I will come back to the manor," she agreed.

Draco downed the whole cup of tea in one gulp. "Ask me anything," he said. Regardless of the circumstances that brought them to these measures, he hoped it would eventually lead to stronger trust between them. He just hoped she got the answers she wanted.

"Is it true that Lucius suggested we get married?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Draco answered, "but if I had not wanted to marry you, I wouldn't have."

"Did you want to marry me because I would be good for your reputation?" Hermione asked, working to keep her voice even.

"Not really," Draco answered. "At first, yes, I considered it, but the day I asked you to marry me, I had no thoughts about that. When you showed up at my house, all I thought about was how we could make a wonderful life together if we tried."

Hermione considered his answer. She'd be lying to herself if she said she hadn't used him a little bit too. A marriage with him would have saved her from a life without magic. But after their conversation, she, too, saw an upside to a marriage between the two of them.

"Why didn't you stop your father from calling me a Mudblood? Do you think people like me are inferior to you, still?" she asked.

"Of course not, Hermione. You are superior to me in almost every way," Draco explained. "I didn't correct my father when he said those things for a lot of reasons. First of all, as much as I hate him, it is hard for me to disrespect him. It's part of my breeding. I don't expect you to understand, but things will certainly change after this where my father is concerned," he bit out between gritted teeth. "Secondly, getting him to stop calling people 'Mudblood' is a futile battle. He does what he wants, and I just ignore it."

She considered what he said, and accepted that it made sense, even if it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. But they had a bigger problem than his father's meddling. "Did you invite Pansy to your office yesterday?"

"No," Draco answered, looking at her intensely. He never wanted her to think him a cheater. He hated cheaters.

"Did she try to seduce you?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking slightly at the memory of the other woman all over her husband.

"Sort of," Draco answered. When she looked at him confused, he explained. "When she came in she wanted to talk about the past. She and I dated for a very short time after the war, but she didn't like the changes in me." Draco laughed humorlessly at that. "She thought I'd gone soft."

Hermione rolled her eyes but motioned for him to continue. "When I told her that I was happily married, she lunged at me. She tried to kiss me, but I thwarted her. I wouldn't call it a seduction as much as a bodily attack."

"Have you ever been with another woman while you were with me?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not," Draco said. "It hurts to know you could think that of me after everything." He looked up at her sadly and she felt guilty. He was right. She'd jumped to conclusions and proved her lack of trust in him.

Hermione just nodded and handed him another vial. "What is this?" he asked, holding it up to the light.

"It's the antidote." Hermione said. "I don't want you to be forced to answer the next question." Draco looked at her, puzzled, but downed the antidote and felt the compulsion to tell the truth leave his body.

"What's the next question?" he asked.

Hermione moved closer to Draco and knelt before him. "Draco, do you love me?" she asked. Her voice was soft and he could see the vulnerability in her eyes. That look alone proved to make this the easiest question he was asked.

"Yes," he whispered. "I am so in love with you."

Hermione's features broke into a wide smile as she flung her arms around his neck. "I love you too, Draco," she cried, but this time, they were tears of happiness.

She pulled back to look at him and wondered why she didn't trust him before. He was an open book with her. He had been since day one. She'd let Lucius get to her and she was mad at herself for that. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you," she whispered.

"I understand," Draco said. "But if we don't have trust, we don't have anything. I promise to be honest with you, but you have to be open with me."

"I know, Draco. I should probably tell you that this isn't the first time Lucius has tried to drive me off." Hermione explained how she and Lucius had basically been playing a tit-for-tat game for Draco's 'affections' so to speak.

Draco just chuckled. "If he thought he was going to win that battle, he was sorely mistaken."

"Draco, take me home," Hermione whispered into his ear.

He grinned back at her. "What about your stuff?"

"I'll get Harry to bring it after he gets off work" she answered. With that, Draco lifted her into his arms and Flooed them both back to Malfoy Manor. They spent the rest of the day in bed, where Draco taught Hermione the perks of make-up sex.

* * *

Lucius stomped around his bedroom ranting at no one in particular. What the hell did he have to do to get that miserable bitch out of his life? He'd played his Ace and it only got her out of the house for one day.

She was insufferable. He felt blackout rage overpowering him. He punched the wall in a very undignified manner. The Malfoy side of him begged for him to keep his cool and wait out whatever love potion his son was under. The Death Eater in him wanted to taste her blood. No one got the best of a Malfoy.


	12. Help!

**Help!**

"Don't go back to work," Hermione whined as Draco moved to get out of the bed several days after 'the fight.' She gave him the puppy dog face and pulled him back to her.

"Awww," he chuckled. "You can't pull a face. I have to go back to work."

"I know, but just stay here a little longer," she pleaded, resting her head on his naked chest. There were two reasons she didn't want her husband to go to work. One, she'd miss him. They'd spent all their time together in the few days he'd taken off. It had been magical. Now that she trusted him totally, she was able to open up to him even more than before.

Another, probably more nagging reason she wanted her husband to stay was that she didn't want to be alone with Lucius. She'd seen him fuming around the house ever since she'd gotten back to the Manor. It had given her a sense of smug pride all week. However, with the prospect of being alone with him looming before her, it was far less entertaining.

"Is this about my father?" Draco asked, pulling her face up to look at him. He always knew what she was thinking. It was like a magical power.

"I can't help it, Draco. He was a Death Eater. A real one. And I've clearly wound up on his bad side," she pointed out.

"Don't worry about my father. I've got that under control. If he tries anything, you tell me and I'll deal with it.," Draco replied, rolling over on top of Hermione. "Now, what do you say to a quickie before work?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Hermione giggled. "You are cheating," she said, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him passionately.

"I never said I play fair," Draco quipped as he plunged into her.

"Draco," she breathed as he eyes squeezed shut and she felt him thrust into her over and over. He was so good at that. Her legs were shaking within minutes.

* * *

Hermione was humming the rest of the morning. She smiled and chatted with Bitsy before moving into her study to continue working on her book. By lunchtime, she'd plowed through an entire chapter, mostly on the early Death Eaters and the rise of Voldemort from a young man to "The Dark Lord."

She'd even forgotten about Lucius being in the house until she ran into him on the way back to the kitchen. He brushed past her, leering as he went, with a deep scowl on his features. "Lucius, can't we just let bygones be bygones?" Hermione called after him as he moved away from her.

He didn't respond, but she thought she heard him grunt at her. She just shook her head and continued to the kitchen to make dinner plans. She felt light as a feather and she wasn't going to let Lucius get to her.

* * *

She was killing him. Lucius Malfoy did not accept defeat without a fight. He knew tangling with the little Mudblood was futile, but his pride wouldn't let him give up. However, none of his mind games worked on the brat.

He couldn't use magic. He'd be thrown right back into Azkaban, and besides, his wand had been destroyed after his trial. He'd missed his magic many times since then, but no more profoundly than when he saw that cunt walking around his house with a self-satisfied smile on her face. He'd love to 'Crucio' the smirk right off.

He had to do something, and he was itching to do it soon. He knew Draco would never send him back to Azkaban on his own. Proof was in the fact that he didn't even kick him out of the house after he almost broke up their marriage. Whatever he did, he'd have to do it soon, and without magic.

* * *

"What would you say if we got pregnant now?" Hermione asked Draco a few nights later as they lay in bed.

Draco's eyes went wide. "What? Are you..." he sputtered.

Hermione giggled. "No, at least, I don't know," she said. "I just wondered. I mean, it's possible that I am. We don't use protection or anything. I just have this feeling. I can't explain it."

Draco smiled. "I'd think it was great. We have to get pregnant soon because of that stupid law anyway. So, do you really think you are?" he asked, hugging her tightly.

"I think I'll make a trip to St. Mungo's tomorrow and see. I haven't missed a period yet, but I know the Magical tests are a lot quicker than the Muggle ones. I'd rather know than wonder," Hermione explained.

"Okay," Draco said, "Would you like me to come?"

"No," Hermione said, resting her head back on Draco's chest. "Tomorrow night at dinner I'll let you know 'yes' or 'no.'" Both of them smiled at the prospect of having a baby as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Hermione would never again doubt what her mother had told her about woman's intuition. She had no reason to believe she was pregnant except a feeling. When the healer confirmed her suspicions, she was caught between shock and overwhelming joy.

Her smile was ten feet wide when she Apparated back into the house. "Bitsy," she called.

"Yes, Mistress," the tiny elf answered as she entered the room.

"Please, bring me a cup of tea, if you would," Hermione asked.

"Of course, Mistress," Bitsy said, popping out, only to return within seconds with a hot cup of tea. She set it down on her desk and began to shuffle through papers. She could hardly concentrate on anything. She and Draco were having a baby.

Try as she might to think about war tactics and Voldemort's rise, all she could keep her mind on were baby names. "Hopeless," she finally muttered to herself, getting up from the desk and moving out of her study. She was a bit peckish.

Her ecstatic joy kept her from keeping her guard up or she would have seen Lucius entering the sitting room. She was about to call for Bitsy again when she noticed him leaning against the wall. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice clear and even.

"Not likely," he muttered, disgust written all over his face.

"Then why don't you wander back to your own quarters," Hermione suggested with a roll of the eyes.

"Listen to me, you little bitch," Lucius barked, moving closer to her. Fear flashed in her eyes before she could hide it, but she tried to stand her ground. "This entire house is mine. You can walk around like you own the place, but you will never be worthy."

Hermione put up a brave front and tried to huff indignantly, "Lucius, don't you ever get tired of playing these silly games?"

"Yes," Lucius said, as a smile spread across his face. It was the first smile she'd seen there since she returned from Harry's after her fight with Draco. It made her feel extremely uncomfortable. As he moved in closer to her, she backed up until her legs were against the seat of the couch. "I won't be playing anymore games."

The predatory look in his eyes was enough to thoroughly frighten Hermione. "Lucius, please don't do anything you will regret." Her thoughts went to the unborn child she was carrying. Lucius might not have had use of his magic, but he outweighed her by at least sixty pounds. If he wanted to, and it looked like he did, he could overpower her. Besides, he was acting deranged.

"Oh, I doubt, very seriously, that I'll regret this," he said, leaning in closer to her. She struggled to remain standing when she felt his fingers clamp around her wrists, his breath tickling her skin.

Her heart hammered in her chest as tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't, please," she groaned. Hermione didn't care if she sounded weak or vulnerable. She knew what Lucius was capable of even without magic.

Lucius just growled as he pushed her down on the couch and climbed on top of her, pinning her hands above her head with one hand. He'd had practice with this kind of thing as a servant of the Dark Lord, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. The tears in her eyes only turned him on. She was squirming underneath him and he just laughed. "Fight," he drawled. "It makes it more satisfying."

Hermione felt like she was going to vomit. She wished she had. She wanted him off of her. He was crushing her and the fingers that were pulling at the buttons of her top felt cold and wrong. Soon, he lost patience and ripped the garment completely off her body. "Now," he said, "let's see what has gotten my son so excited," he leered at her, pulling the cups of Hermione's bra down and over her breasts. He clearly wasn't in his right mind anymore.

Hermione felt dirty and exposed as Lucius pinched at her breasts hard enough to make her cry out. "Please stop," she begged, sobs wracking her body.

His fingers assaulted her body as they moved down to the waistband of her skirt. When he started sliding it down over her hips, she thrashed even more. Her breath was short and she felt her head getting light. This could not happen. "Help! Help me!" she called out, but it was futile. No one was there.

* * *

Draco was putting the finishing touches on the final report on Muggle balding treatments. After a few hours of completely useless daydreaming about a pregnant Hermione, he finally got down to work. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but the more he considered having a baby with Hermione, the better the prospect sounded.

He was quickly pulled out of his concentration when Bitsy Apparated into his office with a loud crack.

"Master, hurry, you need to come home right now!" the little elf cried.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, panic ripping through him.

"The Mistress needs a rescue," Bitsy said, grabbing Draco's hand. He felt that familiar pull of being Disapparated and the next thing he knew, he was in the sitting room of the manor.

The sight before him filled him with fright and rage. On the sitting room couch, his father was holding down his wife, trying to pull her clothes off. She was trying to fight him, but he was far too strong. Her hysterical whimpers sent a knife directly through Draco's heart.

"What the hell is going on here!" he boomed, charging his father. He pulled his father off of his terrified wife with one arm and slammed his fist into the older man's face, feeling the crunching of his nose breaking as Lucius lost consciousness and collapsed in a heap. He looked back at Hermione. She was shaking like a leaf on the floor next to the couch. "Bitsy, please take Lady Malfoy to our rooms and stay with her," he said. Bitsy did as she was told and Draco turned his attention back to his father.

"We are done!" he yelled at the barely conscious man. "You are lucky I don't kill you! I have no choice but to send you to Azkaban."

He was pacing around Lucius' still form. He finally stopped and made his decision about what to do. Anything bad in his life, any dark thought or bad deed that Draco had done had come directly from this man lying in a heap on the floor. There was nothing good to come from associating with his father, and for his and his _family's_ future, Lucius had to go. "Incarcerous," he muttered, letting the magical ropes tie Lucius up. Before he could deal with his father, he had to make sure Hermione was okay.


	13. Moving Forward

**Moving Forward**

When Draco entered the bedroom, Bitsy was trying to soothe Hermione, but didn't seem to be having much luck. She was still shaking and had yet to right her clothing. Draco took a deep breath before sitting next to Hermione on the bed.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt him touch her. "It's me, Hermione. I won't hurt you," he choked. She looked terrible. He'd never seen her broken like she was, sitting in her torn clothing on their bed. This was a woman who survived the worst war in Wizarding history. He hated to think his own father could have broken her down like this.

Hermione relaxed slightly when she heard his voice and finally turned to face him. She was still shaking, but her eyes at least were focusing again. "Draco?"

"I'm here," he cried, running a soothing hand over her hair and down her back. "I'm not going anywhere. Are you hurt?" he asked. It seemed like a stupid question. Obviously she was hurt. What he meant was, did my father violate you, but he couldn't make those words leave his mouth.

"My wrists," Hermione choked, showing him the fingerprint bruises that had popped up on her pale skin. Draco brought them to his mouth and kissed them gently.

"Hermione, maybe we should go to St. Mungo's," he suggested. He wanted to make sure there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I don't want to. You know it will be on the front of the _Daily Prophet_. Please, please don't make me." She was starting to get hysterical again. "I promise, he didn't do anything." She choked the last sentence out.

"Shhh, we won't go if you don't want to," he said reassuringly. He took her wrists in hand again and healed the bruises.

Hermione sobbed for several more minutes in his arms, until she was finally able to get herself under control. "I want to take a shower," she finally croaked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Okay, love." Draco said, helping her up. "You take a shower. I'm going to get Potter. Someone has to take Lucius to Azkaban."

Hermione just nodded. She was relieved that the man was leaving her house for good. Draco got up to leave, but turned back to Hermione, bringing her into his arms again. "I'm so sorry, Hermione."

"For what?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have left you alone with him. This is all my fault," Draco growled, so angry with himself for letting this happen to the woman he loved.

"It's not your fault," Hermione said, her voice shaky. "Don't let him ruin our lives anymore with guilt." Draco just nodded and kissed her again before turning to leave the room. He instructed Bitsy to stay with Hermione and help her with anything she needed. He silently planned to nominate the small elf for sainthood when he got the chance.

He sneered at the still unconscious man on the floor as he reentered the sitting room. He couldn't believe he shared DNA with the waste of space. How could someone hurt anyone the way he'd planned to hurt Hermione? It made him sick to think that this had probably not been the first time Lucius had tried to have his way with a woman.

He shook the sickening thought from his head as he Flooed Harry Potter.

* * *

_Ring Ring!_ Harry had just sat down to dinner when he heard the Floo . "Coming!" he called, stomping into the front room to see who could possibly be wanting him.

When he saw Draco staring back at him, his first thought was that he'd done something stupid in the way of Hermione's feelings again. "Can I come in, Potter?" Draco asked anxiously.

"That depends. Am I going to have to kick your ass when you do?" Harry asked, a smirk playing on his features.

"Please, Potter, this is important. It's about Hermione," Draco snapped. His voice was so raw with emotion, Harry didn't have it in his heart to deny the guy. He opened the Floo and waited for Draco to come through.

"So, what's wrong with Hermione?" Harry asked, indicating that Draco could sit. The blonde man paced the room instead.

"I need your help, Potter," he finally said, looking at the shorter man with raven hair. "My father...attacked Hermione," he choked out, working hard to keep his voice working at the thought.

"What do you mean attacked?" Harry shouted. If something happened to Hermione there was going to be hell to pay.

"I mean, I just pulled him off of her as he was trying to..." Draco couldn't even finish the sentence, but, luckily, he didn't have to. Harry understood all too well what Lucius had been trying to do.

"Is she okay? How did this happen? I knew it was a bad idea for her to move in there with that man. Why would you leave her alone with that scum? What is wrong with you?" Harry demanded, ready to fight.

"Don't you think I already know this is my fault!" Draco shouted back. "I should have gotten rid of him a long time ago. It was my stupid sense of family loyalty that made me let him stay. I know this is my fault! But that doesn't change the situation at hand."

Harry backed down a bit, seeing how distraught Draco was. "Where is he?" he finally asked.

"I've got him tied up in my sitting room, unconscious," Draco said, looking down at his feet. "Hermione wants to keep this quiet. She's embarrassed, and you know how the media is. I was hoping, since you work at the Auror department, you could take care of this."

"Of course," Harry said, with a sigh. He'd do anything for Hermione, and if he got the luxury of throwing Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban while he was at it, so much the better. "Let me just make a call."

* * *

"I better go check on her," Draco said, after Harry's partner took custody of Lucius. "She's been up there for a long time."

"I'll wait down here," Harry said, looking awkwardly at his feet. It wasn't so long ago that he was the one who comforted Hermione when something happened to her. He recognized that that role now belonged to Draco.

Draco skipped up the steps and into the bedroom. He heard the water still running in the bathroom and frowned. Looking at his watch he noticed that she'd been in the shower for over an hour. He cracked open the door and called her name. Nothing.

"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked, moving into the bathroom. He pulled the shower curtain and saw her sitting on the floor of the tub rubbing at her skin. The water had long since gone cold and she was shaking slightly as her lips started to turn blue. "Hermione!" Draco yelled, trying to snap her out of whatever trance she was in.

He shut the water off and pulled her up from the floor. "Hermione, look at me," he said, shaking her.

Finally, Hermione lifted her eyes to look up at him. "I can't get him off of me," she moaned, her lip quivering as a fresh bout of tears overwhelmed her.

"Hermione, he's gone. He will never touch you again, I promise." Draco sniffled, pulling her out of the tub. He wrapped a towel around her tightly and began to rub his arms up and down her body to warm her up.

"I'm sorry," she cried, burying her head in Draco's chest. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I have to collect myself." She was speaking more lucidly, and Draco took that as a good sign.

"I have to calm down," she told herself more than him. "I don't want to hurt the baby. I need to relax." She was trying to take deep breaths to get herself under control again. She felt her body relax with every breath.

"Baby..." Draco breathed, his eyes popping open. "We're..."

Hermione smiled slightly and nodded. "I wanted to tell you over dinner, but yes, we are having a baby. I guess my feeling was right."

Draco crushed her against him again, holding her so tight she thought she'd suffocate.

"Can't breathe..." she choked out. He immediately loosened his arms around Hermione and looked her in the eyes.

"I promise, nothing will ever happen to you again. In fact, why don't you get into bed. You won't have to lift a finger for the next nine months. I swear." Draco's excitement was palpable and Hermione couldn't help but giggle at him.

"I don't think I need to go on bed rest just yet," she laughed, "but thank you for being so supportive."

"You are the most important thing to me," Draco said, helping her into bed. "If anything had happened to you, I would have never forgiven myself."

"But nothing did," Hermione said, trying to calm herself down enough to reassure Draco. "It was scary, but you saved me. I just want to get Lucius Malfoy out of our lives for good."

"Agreed." Draco said. He'd never forget what his father had done to her, but she didn't need his guilt on top of everything else.

Just as he was about to get into bed next to her, an owl tapped at the window. The note was from Harry.

_**Draco,**_

_**Kingsley Shacklebolt is a close friend of mine and Hermione's. He promised to keep everything with Lucius quiet after I told him what happened. He agreed that the press would only make everything harder on Hermione. It was rather unorthodox, but they decided to incarcerate him, without trial, to keep everything out of the papers. It was some loophole in the law. It means he won't receive "The Kiss" but he will also never see the light of day again.**_

_**Anyway, tell Hermione I love her and I will be by tomorrow to see her, if that is okay. If either of you need anything, you know where to find me. I've opened my Floo to both of you.**_

_**Harry**_

_**P.S. I think it's time we started calling each other by our first names don't you?**_

Draco smiled as he read the note aloud. "Potter isn't all bad, I guess." he said, moving into bed next to Hermione.

"I thought you were going to start calling him Harry," Hermione pointed out as she let Draco wrap his arms around her.

"Baby steps," he murmured against her hair. "Speaking of babies," his hand moved over Hermione's abdomen. "What do you think? Boy or girl?"

Hermione smiled, "I don't care, as long as it has my good looks," she turned to face him and laughed at the indignant look on his face. "Come on, let's go to bed. We can worry about the rest tomorrow."


	14. Finally Beta'd: An Author's Note

Just a heads up, this story has been changed slightly and beta'd by my AWESOME beta: **Rusty Weasley**. Just wanted to let you know in case you want to read it again for changes. If you haven't read it at all, I hope you enjoy/enjoyed! You are all amazing!

Krystle


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